Beans make up a good portion of my diet. They play a significant role in many ethnic cuisines from Mexican to Middle Eastern. One downside of consuming beans is that you may be prone to a bit more flatulence than you would like. This is caused by a sugar present in most beans and legumes (oligosaccharides) that can not be broken down naturally in our bodies as we don't manufacture the necessary enzymes. This causes the sugars to travel through our digestive system, eventually fermenting in the lower intestine. And that is where the gas comes from.
A simple cure for this comes from the sea. Cooking beans with a small amount of kelp helps to break down these sugars and enables them to be digested. An added bonus of kelp is that it contains glutamates which add an umami flavor to foods, making them more savory. So don't fear beans, embrace them. They are a rich source of protein, folates, B vitamins and fiber among other things. I'll post some recipes over the next couple of days to get you started.
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