Lectins in beans

[yakima]

There have been some threads here discussing lectins. fzxdoc has provided some guidance, with authoritative supporting references.

So I have recently lugged home The Complete Beans and Grains Cookbook, by America's Test Kitchen, 2024 copyright. They talk a lot about preparing and cooking beans, with positive references to Rancho Gordo. But in its 436 pages I can find no reference to lectins. Furthermore, their advice is to simmer, with no reference to an initial hard boil.

I have the highest regard for Kathryn, and high regard for ATK. Why would ATK not mention lectins?

My bean protocol is not changing (rinse, soak, change water, boil then simmer), but this all makes me curious.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I've come to learn that beans are like bbq, everyone has a different method and almost all of them produce good results.... I personally either do the front end boil or just use the dang bean setting on the instant pot. I rinse, no soak. Though I do have some bean cooks coming up with larger beans that I will do a short soak with.

[bbqLuv]

Instant pot Beans,
I may have to try that.
Got a recipe you recommend? Link maybe?

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

bbqLuv I just use a cup of chicken stock, and whatever veggies and press the bean button. Let it natural release. Any meat I wanna use I put it in on keep warm or low slow cooker setting and any veggies I dont want mushy also go in at the end.

[acorgihouse]

Lectins are basically plant proteins, and they are present in a very wide variety of vegetables. My impression anyway. They can cause some digestive upset in certain people, and there have been a number of other health related things possibly attributed, but not sure any of them has ever panned out. I would consider them in a similar realm of gluten sensitivity, lactose sensitivity, etc. Meaning not allergy, just not tolerant to variable degrees. There is a toxin that some beans have, that gives a lot of GI distress if not cooked completely, but not dangerous like a recipe for cooking blowfish. Not frequently mentioned in the practical health world (meaning I've practiced medicine since 1987, and never once had anyone ask/tell me a patient couldn't tolerate lectins, never seen it as part of a hospital dietary order...>25 of those years in ER and never saw anyone with problems from eating incorrectly dried beans.) Basically, there are apparently certain dried beans that , if not cooked completely, can cause a lot of digestive distress for a while. Like few hours or so, and lectins may be part of the reason. Is possibly one cause of the jokes of GI symptoms caused by beans, but has never really amounted to anything more, although can be found in some research literature. There have not been serious health warnings about cooking dried beans due to lectins. I would not expect a cookbook, even one thorough and reputable as ATK, to mention lectins in their recipes. Just as I would not expect them to mention lactose or gluten. One would expect those things would not be related to the cooking, or even if it was, would not be part of a recipe. I would think, if one were to want more info about lectins, whether the effect on the digestive tract, or the nutritional potential impact, or best cooking methods to avoid, one would do better searching nutritional literature rather than culinary. Just MHO.

[bbqLuv]

Beans, beans, the musical fruit . . . ..
Therefore at get-togethers, I bring deviled eggs and beans!--It's a Gas

[Carolyn]

There is one tv doc who hates lectins.
The only thing I have seen to avoid is the standard crock pot because it doesn't get hot enough. I know 2 people who have tried to cook beans in a crock pot, and both failed to cook the beans all the way through.

Cook them, eat them, they are good. I even add them to.......😱 chili.....
As far as simmering them go, I dunno. A lot of people think a low boil is a simmer. I see no reason to change how we cook beans. Bring to a boil, lower the temp until they are done. Good to go. I have never heard of anybody getting sick from kidney beans using this method. 🤷♀️