Despite being our favourites, beans like kidney beans (rajma), black beans, soybean and lima beans have gained a reputation of making people gassy. According to the book 'Diet & Nutrition, A Holistic Approach' by Rudolph Ballentine, MD, stachyose and raffinose are two different and unusual starches that cause gas in humans upon eating beans. The intestine does not have the capability to break them down and enable smooth digestion. The bacteria that is present in the lining of the stomach breaks down the starches into carbon dioxide and hydrogen, further giving rise to gastric issues.This doesn't mean that beans are not worth eating; after all we cannot give up on rajma or soybean, can we? Despite this reputation that beans have, they are packed with numerous health benefits. In one of the studies published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers found that people who eat beans had 22% lower risk of obesity and are more likely to have a smaller waist than people who didn't eat beans.

If you aren't convinced yet, here are a few reasons to add beans to your daily diet.

1. May Help Pump Up More Iron In Your Body

Iron deficiency is one of the most common conditions; it could cause the haemoglobin or red blood cell count to reduce, further causing anemia. Adding beans to our diet increases the iron intake. However, beans are plant-foods and contain non-heme iron that is not readily absorbed by our body as compared to the iron that we find in meat. In order to ensure a better absorption of the nutrient, it's best to eat beans with foods high in vitamin C.

2. Helps Control High Blood Pressure

The dietary protein and soluble fibre found in beans help prevent conditions like hypertension or high blood pressure.

3. Helps Promote Weight Loss

It is the presence of dietary fibre that keeps your hunger pangs at bay and ensures keeping you fuller for longer. Fibre takes longer to digest, thus keeping our tummy full, which further prevents overeating, meaning it helps lose weight.
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The next time you opt for canned foods such as corn, tuna, asparagus or chicken, think twice. They may contain zinc oxide that can potentially damage your digestive system, warn researchers. The findings showed that nanoparticles of zinc oxide present in the lining of certain canned goods, usually considered good for its antimicrobial properties and preventing staining of sulfur-producing foods, may negatively affect the way in which human digestive tract operates. “We found that zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles at doses that are relevant to what you might normally eat in a meal or a day can change the way that your intestine absorbs nutrients or your intestinal cell gene and protein expression,” said Gretchen Mahler, Associate Professor at the Binghamton University in the New York. Researchers found that canned food contained 100 times the daily dietary allowance of zinc.

“They tend to settle onto the cells representing the gastrointestinal tract and cause remodelling or loss of the microvilli, which are tiny projections on the surface of the intestinal absorptive cells that help to increase the surface area available for absorption,” Mahler added. This loss of surface area tends to result in a decrease in nutrient absorption. Some of the nanoparticles also cause pro-inflammatory signaling at high doses, and this can increase the permeability of the intestinal model, the researcher said.

In other words, it can even allow the passage of compounds that are not supposed to pass through into the bloodstream. The study, published in the journal Food & Function, looked at how many particles might be transferred into the canned food. “Our model shows that the nanoparticles do have effects on our in vitro model, and that understanding how they affect gut function is an important area of study for consumer safety,” Mahler said.

Fatty liver diet: We suggest some foods that may help reverse the effects of fatty liver-
1. Garlic

This kitchen ingredient may help cure fatty liver disease. According to a study published in Advanced Biomedical Research, garlic appears to help reduce body weight and fat in people with fatty liver disease.

2. Coffee

According to a report published in the Annals of Hepatology, coffee contains certain compounds that may help protect the body from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Adding coffee to the morning routine may be a great addition to a person's fatty liver diet.

3. Broccoli

According to a study published in the journal of Nutrition, long term consumption of broccoli helped prevent fat build-up in the liver of mice. Cruciferous vegetables like spinach, cabbage, cauliflower are known to have a great impact on the liver.

4. Green tea

Tea, according to World Journal of Gastroenterology, especially green tea has high levels of antioxidants that help reduce body fat percentage and fat in the blood.

5. Soy or whey protein

Tofu may actually reduce fat build-up in the liver. Not just this, tofu has super-low fat content and high-protein that makes it even healthier for a fatty liver diet.

6. Walnuts

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are great for liver health. A study found that eating walnuts improved liver function tests in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

7. Sunflower seeds

These crunchy delights are excellent sources of vitamin E, an antioxidant, which helps protect the liver from further damage. So include them in your fatty liver diet.

8. Olive oil

The presence of omega-3 fatty acids in olive oil help lower liver enzymes levels and control weight. So include this healthy oil in your fatty liver diet.

Fatty liver diet: What foods should you avoid?
For the people following the fatty liver diet, you should avoid alcohol, added sugar, red meat, excess salt, fried foods, white bread, rice and pasta.

With people becoming more health conscious, several restaurants have started introducing dishes with healthy ingredients like kale, beetroot and quinoa. These dishes offer wholesome goodness as it is not just good on nutrient value but also on taste, say experts. Rajesh Sawhney, Co-founder of Healthie.in and Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Culinate, have listed some of the healthy ingredients that restaurants and cafes have started using in their dishes:

* Quinoa is a seed that belongs to the spinach/chard family, which is why it is called a pseudo-cereal or pseudo-grain. Quinoa is rich in protein and a lot of other vital nutrients such as magnesium, dietary fiber and vitamin B. It is also a good source of antioxidants called flavonoids and it’s a healthy alternative to rice.

* Kale is high in fiber, low on calorie and has zero fat. It is one of the most common ingredients in the healthy dishes prepared by restaurants. Apart from being highly nutritious, kale is also high in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It can be added to pasta, green smoothies or can be simply tossed in a salad.

* Chia seeds are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium. A 28 gram, or 1ounce, serving of chia seeds also contains 5.6 grams of protein. Hence, they make it on the menu of most healthy food restaurants. These seeds can be added to smoothies, oatmeal or yogurt.

* Nuts are often counted as good fats and are also rich in fiber and Omega-3. Plant sterols are a substance present in nuts that helps in lowering the cholesterol level in the body.

Nuts are a great source of L-arginine, which make the artery walls more flexible and less prone to blood clots that can block blood flow. You can make a nutty trail mix and simply munch on nuts in between meals or add them to your stir-fry.

* Activated charcoal is a natural ingredient that helps in flushing out toxins from the body. It not only helps in the detoxification of the body but also helps in digestive cleansing by alleviating problems like gas and bloating.

Activated charcoal also helps in fighting the signs of ageing.

Healthy restaurants incorporate activated charcoal in their healthy drinks and also in the breads and buns used for their special sandwiches and burgers.

* Beetroots contain valuable nutrients that may help lower your blood pressure, fight cancer and inflammation, boost your stamina, and support detoxification. It is an amazing source of iron but is often ignored due to its peculiar taste. Beetroots can be added to salads, smoothies or you could even add beetroot to your chapati dough to get that much-needed iron intake.

If your grandmother held your nose and made you drink a bitter potion to prevent boils or pimples, chances are she was giving you what is called Chirata. As always, she had good reasons.

Chirata, indigenous to the Himalayas, is a bitter tasting plant commonly used in traditional medical systems of our country. It is valued for treating a variety of health problems.

Well-known in traditional systems of medicines such as Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha, its medicinal properties are also reported in the Indian pharmaceutical codex, and the British and the American pharmacopoeias. Traditionally, all parts of the plant, including leaves, flowers, roots and stems are used; however, the root is considered to be the most powerful part.

Established benefits in traditional medicine include reducing fevers, joint pains, getting rid of intestinal worms, skin diseases, easing constipation, urinary discharges, ulcers, stomach ache, asthma and bronchitis. It’s also been used as a breath freshener and for reducing nausea during pregnancy.

Traditional Bhutanese medicine uses Chirata for blood purification and to cure common cold, gout disease, diabetes and even malaria. According to Ayurveda, Chirata is excellent for de-worming children and easy to digest.

The bitterness and benefits in treating worms (antihelmintic), fever (antipyretic), and lowering blood sugar (hypoglycaemic) are attributed to Amarogentin (most bitter compound isolated till date), Swerchirin, Swertiamarin and other active compounds, including Mangeferin. It has been reported recently that these phyto-nutrients also impart anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activities to Chirata. In a preliminary study conducted in 2008 by the National Institute of Virology, Chirata showed anti-viral properties against the Herpes virus.

Scientific studies have also shown that Chirata has benefits for those suffering from liver and gall bladder disease, and also has anti-infective properties. Its benefits on gastro-intestinal health have also been reported in several small studies. A study done in 2011 in the University Medical College of Karachi indicated that Chirata can alter gut motility and help in constipation, colic, diarrhoea and asthma.

The medicinal properties of this plant have generated interest in researchers. Larger clinical trials to re-validate these benefits are likely to open new avenues for its multi-spectrum benefits, particularly for its use in pharmaceutical industry for preparation of drugs, for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.