Are Lima Beans Good For You? Nutrition, Benefits & Downsides In 2024

The health benefits of the humble little lima bean were first discovered thousands of years ago. In fact, as far back as 1921, researchers were lyrical about its benefits! If you live in the Southern states of the U.S., you’ll probably know it better than the butter bean. But whichever name you choose to call it (or however you enjoy cooking it!), the impressive nutritional benefits will always be there for you to enjoy.

The best thing about this nutritionally power-packed legume is that it is cheap, easy to store and cook, and adds a buttery, textured quality to many dishes. That means that your family can always eat healthily, even on a tight budget. Better still, lima beans suit all diets – carnivorous, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free – and, if prepared correctly, even as part of a low-lectin, or lectin-free diet.

So let’s get straight to the facts – what exactly are lima beans, lima beans benefits, and side effects and how best can you integrate them into your diet in the healthiest and tastiest way possible?

What Are Lima Beans?

Lima beans^[5] are large, flat, usually cream or green, kidney-shaped seeds. They are derived from the bean family and can also be brown, white, black, or purple. Whilst first forming a staple of Central American diets, they eventually became a favorite across many cultures, offering a powerful source of protein and fiber. 

Lima beans were once considered a status symbol^[6] in ancient South American cultures. In fact, as a prestigious representation of the bean warrior of the Moche warrior class, they even served as a powerful iconic metaphor for life and death. 

In the present day, they are still respected, but more as a healthful alternative to meat and as a great source of nutrients! That’s why they continue to form the foundation for many dishes worldwide, offering a quick, easy way to make any meal more wholesome and nutritious. You’ll find them in most supermarkets and whole food stores packaged in canned, fresh, dried, or frozen form. 

Lima Beans Nutrition Facts

Beans are already considered to be one of the healthiest food choices^[7] out there by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. And for a good reason.

Are lima beans healthy? According to the US Department of Agriculture,^[5] 100 grams of lima beans contain around 123 calories, with an impressive 6.8 grams of protein and 5.4 grams of total fiber. That makes them a dense, nutrient-rich, low-energy food. Additionally, as lima beans contain only 1.16 grams of sugar, with a total of 23.6 grams of carbohydrates, they constitute a great dietary choice if you are trying to lose weight or maintain healthy blood pressure. 

Further, with only 0.32 gram of fat, alongside 2.45 milligrams of iron, 32 mg of calcium, 74 mg of magnesium, 570 mg of potassium, and only 0.17 mg of sodium, lima beans ultimately offer a great high-nutrition, low-salt addition to any diet.

If cooked the right way, they are very low in lectins^[8] (carbohydrate-binding proteins that can cause damage to our digestive health). They are also high in antioxidants,^[9] which help to support a healthy immune system. 

What Are Lima Beans Benefits?

There are so many great health benefits of lima beans that it’s hard to make a list. But we’ve managed to curate our top five right here. We’ll be covering price (how they suit any budget), weight loss (they may help give your diet a boost!), gut health, flexibility in suiting any diet (even a lectin-free one), and overall long-term health benefits (including heart health). So let’s get down to it!

Nutrition On A Budget

Canned beans are one of the cheapest and most easily accessible foodstuffs that you can buy (in fact, a 1-pound bag of raw lima beans will set you back less than $2 at some major supermarkets), offering an impressive bang for your buck!). 

Canned, these awesome little legumes are easy to store, and transport and have a long shelf life. It is worth noting that the American Diabetes Association classifies beans as a superstar food, underscoring the potent nutritional profile of lima, and other beans, at a very impressive price. They also retain most of the nutritional value of fresh lima beans, too.

Ultimately, the great news is that no matter how tight our budget might be, we can still provide the high-quality nutrition that our families deserve if we regularly integrate legumes like lima beans into our diets.

Great For Weight Loss

As a food high in fiber and protein, lima beans are a great choice for dieters. That is because eating a diet with a higher fiber intake has been shown to predict fat loss.^[10] Similarly, a high protein intake has been observed to^[11] lower food cravings while also actively lowering levels of the hunger-promoting hormone ghrelin.^[12] Lima beans are high in both fiber and protein whilst also being very low in sugar and fat, making them an excellent all-around choice for weight loss.

They Help To Promote Gut Health

Beans have been observed, in a recent 2022 study,^[13] to provide notable prebiotic benefits, including increased levels of good bacteria in the gut, boosted short-chain fatty-acid production in the colon, and better overall health. The health benefits^[14] of a healthier gut are far-reaching, and range from a stronger immune system to more energy and even better mental health.

Now, you might have avoided beans partly as a dietary choice due to their infamous flatulent-creating reputation. A recent scientific study^[15] reported, however, that reports of flatulence from eating beans may have been exaggerated, so perhaps it is time to give them a chance!

The anti-inflammatory^[16] properties of beans are also well-documented, with their lipid-lowering and nutrient-absorption effects clear.

They Are A Great Lectin-Free Food (When Cooked)

Lectins are present in almost a third of our food and can sometimes resist the digestive process, entering our circulation directly. According to research,^[8] the result of this process can, for some susceptible individuals, be the onset of nutrient deficiencies, serious damage to the intestinal wall, and poor digestion.

While raw lima beans are high in lectin, washing, and then boiling them can completely remove or disable lectins. Lima beans thus offer a healthy low-lectin or lectin-free dietary option when prepared correctly. 

They Protect Your Long-Term Health

A recent academic review^[17] reported that lima beans help to keep blood sugar levels stable and positively aid in the management of Type II Diabetes. Diets high in beans have also been observed to lower low-density lipoprotein (the bad cholesterol) cholesterol, positively mediate risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, and reduce the overall risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Lima Beans Side Effects

So, we’ve seen the many positive benefits of lima beans. But can lima beans ever be bad for you? 

Well, anything can be bad for you if not eaten in moderation, and lima beans are no exception. That’s mostly because they come packed with fiber. Whilst fiber carries many benefits, if we ingest too much too quickly for our systems to adjust, we can expect unpleasant side effects^[18] like stomach cramps, constipation or diarrhea, gas, and bloating. The key is to eat small amounts and slowly increase intake over time.

Beans also contain lectins, which can cause digestive and other health-related issues. However, as noted earlier, we can easily remove lectins from lima beans. Let’s take a closer look at what you need to know.

Conclusion

The famed ancient mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras famously believed that beans have a soul.^[21] While we might not be prepared to take that quote entirely literally, one thing we know is that. A steaming hot bowl of butter beans, cooked to perfection, and added to your favorite dish, can certainly feed your soul! And it’ll feed your immune system, too.

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