Sprouted Black Beans......

[neen273]

ARE TOXIC!!

I added them to an otherwise beautiful salad this morning. Gave me intense shooting abdomen pain and violent vomiting. Good thing I didn't do kidney beans - have subsequently read those are probably worse. I wouldn't say the flavor is horrible, just very starchy, but not something to repeat in any case.

Well, now I know!


from another thread:

Large beans: Anasazi, Black, Fava, Kidney, Lima, Navy, Pinto, Soy, etc. Except for soy, these are irrelevant to the sprouter - raw flavor is truly horrible. Also, serious toxicity/allergy/digestibility issues with these raw beans. Except for soy (edible raw if grown long enough), these beans must be cooked to be digestible, hence are not of interest to the raw-fooder.

[Sharon in Colorado]

I am glad you are okay. I'm sorry you had to go through such a traumatic experience! I've heard this about black beans as well. Never thought to try that with any bean myself.

I think garbazos are okay sprouted but at this point I'm sure you don't want to go near another bean again!

[tvillemom]

I've tried garbanzos sprouted and made into hummus, it was actually really good...almost like SAD hummus to me!! I would like to know which beans ARE sproutable. Then how do you eat them, like sprout and all (like mung beans) and I'm not really sure, when I sprouted mung beans I really didnt't like it....should I have JUST eaten the sprout part and not the bean?? Beans are so tricky to me.
Wendi

[RowanC]

The following was posted on veg-raw, an e-mail list for raw food vegetarians. It is a reply to the question: how can I eat large, crunchy sprouted beans like kidney beans?

A: Raw kidney beans reportedly are toxic when eaten in large amounts; the toxin is eliminated by cooking. As raw kidney bean sprouts have a bitter, highly unpleasant flavor it could be difficult to consume a harmful amount. Some people who have tried to eat them raw, reported to me that they could not keep them down; they involuntarily vomited after eating them! Anyway, if you insist on eating kidney beans the best way is to sprout them for 1-1.5 days and then cook the sprouts - they require less cooking than dry/soaked beans. Cooked large sprouted beans are not bitter - their taste is similar to that of unsprouted, cooked beans - and they generally produce little or no flatulence (a good reason to sprout, then cook, large beans if you wish to eat them).

Most of the large beans contain enzyme inhibitors and are very hard to digest when raw. Further they usually produce large amounts of gas/flatulence, which is not good for you in the long run. The enzyme inhibitors are destroyed by the heat of cooking; because of this some raw food authors suggest that large beans be cooked before eating, if you choose to eat them. (Certainly there are many other seeds that can be sprouted and eaten raw). Another factor that prevents one from eating raw, sprouted large beans is their taste - extremely bad, so bad that most simply cannot tolerate eating them!

There are limited uses for some of the raw, sprouted large beans. Sprouts of black beans, blackeye peas, and small red beans, are sometimes used in small quantities as a flavoring ingredient in sprouting mixtures and/or salads (in effect, used as a condiment). Sprouted garbanzos, peanuts (also a legume - not a nut), and peas can be eaten alone or used as ingredients for recipes such as raw hummus. Soybean sprouts when short are bitter, astringent, and inedible unless cooked; if sprouted long enough they are (theoretically) edible raw, though you may find their taste unpleasant/intolerable.

Keep in mind that there are many other sprouting seeds, including many small beans/legumes (lentils, garbanzos, beans: mung, adzuki, urad, moth, etc.) that are edible when raw. Perhaps you can substitute small sprouted beans for large in your food preparation?

[Morn]

Wow thanks everyone for the information. I wondered about the black bean thing. That is such a bummer.

[veganman]

I had the exact thing happen to me with black beans when I first went raw. I am so sorry you went through it as well. :(

[Bobbie]

I thought the only beansprouts which are edible were garbanzo, mung, aduki and lentil.
I was really surprised to find black beans in Juliano's book, and in raw recipes on the internet.
I'm sorry they made you suffer so much. I hope you threw all of them up so they won't cause you anymore trouble. Maybe a green smoothie would help clean out your system. Hope you feel better soon. :(

[Lay-Lay]

sorry you have had that experience. I have read this also, but they have no effect on me and I LOVE beans and bean sprouts. I also know mung beans are fine and VERY healthy.

[neen273]

Thanks for the concern peoples! I felt slightly odd the rest of the day but not nauseous anymore. That is strange that the same toxins might not affect everyone the same..........i.e. black beans only toxic to some. (scratches head)

[tvillemom]

When I sprout mung beans, are the whole beans safe, or do you seperate the sprout and just eat that. I have a whole bag of mung beans, just waiting their turn ;)
Wendi

[Lay-Lay]

I just eat the sprouts of the mung beans.

[mershwista]

I knew sprouts tasted nasty for a reason...lol. I used to sprout a great deal, but my tastebuds have become pickier and pickier and the only sprouted things I can stand now are alfalfa sprouts in salads and sprouted chick peas in hummos....agh.