Lima Bean Scientific information?

Lima Bean Information

• Answer:

  Lima beans (Fabaceae plant family) have been cultivated for thousands of years. These legumes once were believed to have originated in Brazil, but Peru or Guatemala might have been the place where they first grew. Most lima beans found in the United States are green, but there are other colors, sizes and shapes. Time Frame Cultivation of these beans goes as far back as 6000 BC in Peru. It is now a globally cultivated legume. Part of the reason is the ease of storage and transport. Explorers, merchants and slavers stored chad or butter beans, as they are sometimes called, as ship provisions. Types of Lima Beans A popular bean of the Americas, large lima beans—named after Lima, Peru—are large and flat, consisting of a greenish-white shell, creamy white interior texture and buttery taste. Another popular peruvian bean is the green baby lima. These medium-size beans have taste, texture and color similar to large lima beans. Nutritional Value Legumes such lima beans are touted for their high fiber content. Not only does fiber control and stabilize blood sugar from rising too quickly after eating, but it also provides a slow and steady complex carbohydrate energy burn. One cup of lima beans provides 65.8 percent of the daily fiber value requirements; 24.9 percent of the required iron; and 48.5 percent of the daily requirement of manganese, which plays an important role in antioxidant defenses and energy production. Animal Meat Substitute Lima beans and other legumes may be used as a meat substitute. When combined with a whole grain source, lima beans provide a low-fat whole protein source, with 29.3 percent of the daily protein recommendation in one cup. Cyanogen Cyanide compounds are present in lima beans and they should therefore not be eaten raw unless they are among the low-cyanogen varieties. Western countries, such as the United States, restrict commercially grown lima bean production to those with low cyanogen levels. In some other countries, including Java and Burma, these legumes have 20 to 30 times more the cyanogen than is permitted in most Western countries. These high-cyanogen beans require longer cooking times to drive out the hydrogen cyanide gas.