Primary Health Care: Open Access

Common bean is the most commonly consumed legume worldwide, and it is the most important legume produced for direct human consumption, with a commercial value exceeding that of all other legume crops combined. Although low in methionine and cysteine, the dried seeds, or “pulses”, of P. vulgaris are an important source of dietary protein for millions of people throughout the tropics, supplementing those amino acids lacking in diets based on maize, rice or other cereals Beans are an especially valuable source of the amino acids lysine and tryptophan; the minerals iron, copper and zinc; and beneficial phytochemicals, antioxidants and flavonoids Dry beans are typically processed before consumption, usually by cooking in water, but some beans are consumed after roasting or after milling into flour.  The leaves of some specially selected varieties are consumed as a vegetable, usually when better quality food is not available