Yes. Beans are technically considered a dried fruit.

What is so great about beans? Well, first of all there is the antioxidant health counterpart. Beans, especially those with darker skins have been rated as some of the top antioxidant foods out there. Even topping the “antioxidant superstars” like the blueberry and the cranberry. Antioxidant foods are thought to fight off heart disease and even cancer.

In addition to their high antioxidant levels, healthy beans contain around 13 grams of fiber per cup which is over half the recommended daily amount. Fiber helps regulate the digestive track, lower blood sugar levels and help with weight loss as it helps keep you full and curbs your appetite. If that wasn’t enough to sell you on adding more beans to your diet, healthy beans have absolutely no saturated fat and are a great source of calcium, potassium and magnesium.

So, we know that adding beans to our diets is certainly a wise and healthy choice, but which beans are thought to be the most healthy? Are there some that stand out that we should pay special attention to?

Black beans are an excellent source of fiber, which has been shown to lower cholesterol. Fiber has also been shown to reduce blood sugar levels after a meal, making these beans a great choice for diabetics.

Black beans are also rich in cancer fighting antioxidants and even beat out the cranberry, blueberry and grape in the amount of antioxidants it contains.

Researchers have found that the darker the bean’s skin, the higher the antioxidant levels-hence the reason the black bean comes out on top as the most healthy bean.

The red kidney bean is the next bean in the legume family that has proven to be one of the best for your health. Like other beans it is packed with fiber and protein which help with digestion among other things. Its dark skin also contributes to its high antioxidant levels. Kidney beans have also been shown to be an excellent source of iron which can increase your energy levels.

Pinto beans are next on the list of the healthiest beans. Pinto beans are distinguished by their pink or white skin dotted with splashes of color. These beans are rich in antioxidants, fiber, protein, magnesium, potassium, folate, vitamin B1, iron, phosphorous and copper.

Although the red kidney bean, black bean and pinto bean are some of the highest ranking beans in regards to your health, any bean really is packed full of life-saving antioxidants, fiber, protein and a slew of other nutrients.

Lentils, lima beans, navy beans and garbanzo beans are also excellent choices for adding a variety of healthy beans to your diet.

Thought to be packed with 10-20 times the level of antioxidants of a glass of red wine and twice the amount of blueberries, the antioxidant fruit Acai, is considered a “super food”. Before this latest superfood began sweeping the world though local tribes of the Amazon knew of it’s health properties and used it’s pulp to make wine. The Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) berry and antioxidants health in general are hot topics in natural health circles. Native to Central and South America this small round dark blue fruit, similar in size to a blueberry is produced by the Acai Palm. Considered to be one of the healthiest fruits on the planet the palmberry pulp is claimed to have more anitioxidants than blueberries or pomegranates.  Covering a large seed is a berry containing a thin layer of edible pulp. Acai has an extremely high level of Anthocyanins, which are members of the flavonoid class of antioxidants help streamline how the body works. ORAC assay is used to rate the antioxidant power of foods. To defend our bodies against free radicals it is believed that we should consume at least 1700 ORAC per day (an arbitrary number I’m sure). It is thought that the Acai fruit contains between 3000 – 4000 ORAC (depending on quality). This amount can be obtained in just one serving. Acai is very concentrated with nutrients that it may have a stronger impact than other fruits. Antioxidants are contained in many dark colored fruits at some level of but the level in the Acai berry is thought to be higher than other antioxidants fruit.
The Acai berry is said to taste like a blend of berries and chocolate. I personally can’t confirm this because I have my Acai antioxidants in a shake mixed with other high antioxidants fruit. The pulp is said to be rich in the following – B vitamins (this was not listed on the package of organic Acai that I have), minerals, protein (quite low = 2 grams out of a 100 gram serving), Vitamin E (again, not listed on the brand I use) caffeine, fiber and essential fatty acids such as Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 (I only saw Omega 6 = 860mg and Omega 9 3360mg).
Apparently the fruit deteriorates quickly upon harvesting with some reports stating that the active properties can disappear after 24 hours (yikes). So it needs to be frozen quickly to preserve it. The brand I have been using for about 3-4 years now is Sambazon. The package claims that no sugar is added as a sweetener, it’s organic, and it bears the Fair Trade label. I have always had luck finding this product at Whole Foods Market. Acai mixes quite well with other fruits and helps make a delicious shake. Enjoy!