Any housewife wants not only to feed her family with delicious food, but also to make every meal useful for health. One of the products that decorates every table is beans. In our country, beans are quite popular, and love them in all forms: canned, fried, boiled.
In this article, we will find out what legumes are and what products they are for, how they are useful, and for better perception, we’ll give a photo and a brief description of various species.
Did you know? Interestingly, beans do not live in the wild. This culture was developed and actively eaten in ancient Greece and Egypt.
Beans can be divided into three large groups: fruit, decorative and feed.
Fruit
Many people want to know which foods are legumes and which are not, and whether they are useful. Others are afraid to buy and eat them, because they have heard that such food can cause gas, stomach heaviness and discomfort.
In fact, the definition of "beans" fit various plants with different properties. Let's take a look at the list of legumes and find out whether they bring benefit or harm to our body.
Peas
Here is the oldest product that appeared many years before our era. From here you can take the starting point of the development and spread of legumes. So from the bottom and the status of everyday food peas reached the plate of the French king and today has become a favorite dish all over the world.
You can also grow peas in your country house, and in specialized stores you will find a wide selection of different varieties of peas. Among the most popular ones, there are sugar varieties: Medovik, Detskiy, Kalvedon, Beagle. This product contains a large amount of protein and almost the entire periodic table. Of the vitamins, there is a group B, PP, E, A, H and K. In addition, fiber, starch and dietary fiber, which are also present in each pea, play an important role for our body. 
Important! Beans are digested for a long time in our stomach: usually the process takes 4 hours. This property makes the product heavy and non-dietary, especially for those who suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular system and problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
There are quite a few dishes from peas, and on the Web you can always find a recipe to taste. The most popular is the soup, or cream soup. You can cook it quickly and easily, and diversify even easier.
Beans
Another representative of legumes, which is well acclimatized in garden plots, but, like peas, loves warm sunny areas. Beans are represented by 100 types of various sizes, shapes and colors. 
The benefit of this product is also great, because there is a set of all the necessary trace elements, among which a large amount of copper, potassium and zinc with phosphorus can be distinguished. At the same time, the beans are not inferior to peas in protein content, carbohydrate and essential amino acids.
Cooking beans is a rather lengthy process. It must be boiled well, since, apart from nutrients, it also contains toxic substances, which, when entering the human body, begin to destroy red blood cells.
Learn more about the beneficial properties: pea, common, asparagus and green beans.
Neutralize the toxic component can be using high temperatures. Therefore, take the time to prepare and consume only healthy, well-cooked and softened product. 
Important! Before cooking, all leguminous crops should be carefully selected, eliminating ugly-looking, shapeless peas. After that - be sure to soak in water, so you allow the product to cook evenly. Determination of readiness is possible by the fact that the beans have become soft.
Lentils
Multicolored and beloved by all lentils not only present in the menu of many restaurants, but also included in the list of national dishes of countries such as Germany, India and China. This product is useful because it contains a large amount of well-digestible protein and iron, but in terms of the number of other substances, lentils are inferior to many legumes. It is important to note the presence of:
- omega 3 and 6 acids;
- vitamins C, PP, group B;
- trace elements such as iodine, copper, zinc, phosphorus, boron, molybdenum, manganese, cobalt.
There is another important element - isoflavone. This chemical, which is found only in plant foods, and in its structure similar to the human hormone estrogen, is incredibly beneficial for women's health. Thanks to him, you can deal with a number of problems such as heavy sweating, problems with the heart and blood vessels, breast cancer and osteoporosis.Dishes from this type of legumes are used to improve digestion and the gastrointestinal tract. Interestingly, lentils can not pre-soak.
Important! It is better to rinse canned beans under running water before use. This way you wash away the excess salt that was added during the preservation.
Soy
Another representative of wholesome food is soy. It is easy and cheap to grow, while receiving a very large crop. It contains a huge amount of protein, essential vitamins and trace elements, useful acids. Together, they make soybean a unique product, a source for the production of even more other products, such as:
- tofu cheese;
- paste;
- flour;
- meat;
- milk;
- oil and others
Did you know? Soy's amazing ability lies in the fact that it is absolutely tasteless in itself, but it can also absorb the flavors and taste of other products.
To prepare soybeans, they are pre-soaked in water for 8 hours in a ratio of one to two. It is necessary to cook soy 5 minutes after boiling it over high heat, and after that - another 5 minutes on average. Now it needs to be brought to full readiness already with the participation of other products.
Peanut
We used to see peanuts in rows of nuts, but in fact this product is considered to be a legume grass. It grows in warmer southern sandy regions where there is no wind. For cultivation fit four varieties: "runner", "Virginia", "Valencia" and Spanish peanuts. 
The fruits of this plant contain a lot of vitamin E and group B, as well as essential trace elements such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron and phosphorus. A handful of peanuts a day will help to cope with a large load on mental abilities, nervous feelings and stress. Peanuts also have many useful glyceric acid oils in combination with the following acids:
- linoleic;
- stearic;
- lauric;
- palmitic;
- behenova;
- oleic.
Dried peanuts can be included in the diet, with or without frosting, and peanut butter. Adding peanuts to pastries or homemade sweets will give the dish an excellent taste.
Read also about the properties of almonds, walnuts, pine, nutmeg and Manchurian nuts.
Feed
Representatives of the legume culture of the feed group are very useful for feeding animals, but their properties also apply to human health.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa - steppe grass. It is grown everywhere. It is ideal for cattle feed both fresh and dried. People have found use for more than 100 varieties of this species for themselves. She perfectly plays the role of a drug. With the help of alfalfa, you can treat a number of diseases, such as:
- gastrointestinal problems;
- thyroid disease;
- diabetes.
Low hemoglobin in the blood, poor metabolism, ulcers - alfalfa can fight it all. The plant has chlorophyll, which helps remove toxins from the body, cleansing it. There is a large amount of iron and vitamin C and K that are involved in blood clotting. Pain in the joints, which are caused by the accumulation of salts, can also be overcome by the healing properties of alfalfa.
More recently, people began to add alfalfa sprouts to fresh salads, meatballs and soups. For medicinal purposes, alfalfa makes broths, which are mixed with various juices, such as carrot. 
In addition, alfalfa has found itself in the cosmetic field. The broth can be mixed with honey and applied to the skin for 15 minutes. Alfalfa juice is mixed with lettuce juice to stimulate hair growth.
Clover
Convenient for growing in order to obtain animal feed and at the same time as a decorative ornament of the yard, clover is also used in medicine. Its distinguishing feature is its ability to prevent the formation of cancer cells, as well as their spread, like any other infection. This is a powerful orderly who cleans our body of all toxic and unnecessary. 
His decoction is struggling with a wet cough and tuberculosis. Clover perfectly treats fungal afflictions, is an antibacterial, healing and anti-inflammatory agent.
The broth is made from inflorescences in the amount of 3 teaspoons, which are boiled in a glass of boiling water. Drink should infuse for 6 minutes. To take such a tool can be up to five times a day for 20 minutes before meals for a quarter cup.
Clover acquired its properties due to the high content of useful substances, such as:
- tannins - a building material for mucous membranes, an activator of cleansing processes;
- sitosterol - participate in the synthesis of cells, accelerating all metabolic processes at this level;
- isoflavones - to combat hormonal disorders, the work of the heart;
- isoflavone maakanin - against the fungus;
- Fiber - for the digestive tract,
- and also - salicylic acid, fats, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates.
Vika
Unique view of legumes, plant Vika - Excellent feed for livestock. Its peculiarity is that Vika affects the quality of milk, improving it. The only disadvantage of this plant is that it can provoke miscarriages and other problems in pregnant animals, as well as harm to the lactating and newborn. Therefore, Vika can be given both in fresh and in dried form only of an adult individual.
The legume family also includes such plants as: cercis, sweet peas, broom, bauber, dolichos, albition and bladder.
It is advisable to combine such food with other types of herbs, or to give in small portions, since the vetch is difficult and long absorbed by the intestines and can cause discomfort in the animal. For example, pigs are given hay wiki, pre-softening it with boiling water.
Important! It is known that legumes during digestion in the human stomach can cause abundant gas formation and discomfort. You can get rid of this post effect. To do this, when soaking, pour out water more often and type a new one, and simmer over low heat in fresh liquid.
Bean trees
As already noted, legumes can be useful not only in the form of food. Let's look at the list of ornamental plants.
Acacia
WITH acacia confused yellow mimosa. In fact, these are two different plants. Acacia has olive branches and bright yellow inflorescences. The most common species is acacia silvery. Flowers can be observed from the end of January until the end of April, and sometimes in the autumn. The usefulness of the plant is the content of a large amount of tannins.
In medicine, white acacia is used. From its flowers, bark and leaves make decoctions. It helps with gastritis; alcohol tincture reduces the acidity of the stomach, fights ulcers, treats kidney and liver diseases. 
Mimosa
And again a little confusion between the yellow flower. mimosawhich men are used to giving to women for the spring holidays and which belongs to another family of plants, and our copy of the bean family. The latter gives larger flowers in smaller quantities.
From 30 centimeters in size to one and a half meters, mimosa flowers delight the eye. The most common type - mimosa bashful. The peculiarity of this plant is that at the slightest external irritant, be it a man’s hand, a cold wind or a cloudy weather, the mimosa folds its leaves and bends them down. It is possible to keep such a plant at home, but due to its toxicity, it is dangerous for children and pets. 
Lupine
This is an amazingly beautiful herb with no less beautiful flowers is a storehouse of useful protein and oils. Surprisingly, by the amount of oil lupine is on a par with the olive tree. The plant is an excellent pet food. In addition, it is often planted for fertilizing and cleaning the soil, which makes it possible not to apply fertilizer, but at the same time to get a large and useful crop.
But more often, lupine still plays the role of a beautiful decoration for the yard. And the reason for this is understandable, because if you cut off flowering shoots in time and allow new ones to get all the nutrients from the root system, the flowering of lupine will continue from late May until late autumn. 
There are many different recipes for decoctions that can fight stomach ailments, ulcers, inflammations, and tumors. For example, a decoction of lupine flower vinegar mixed with honey and pepper is suitable for the stomach.
Carob or Ceratonia
This is an evergreen tree that just surprises with its spectrum of application. It is used for medical purposes for the manufacture of various drugs and preparations for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract, increase immunity, with acute respiratory infections and cough. From the pods, in which there are seeds, make a powder called carob. It is a cocoa powder substitute for people who do not consume caffeine. 
In Turkey, Spain, Portugal and Sicily, fruits are used to prepare various refreshing drinks and compotes. For the Egyptians, ceratonia is a delicacy. In Cyprus, seeds fed cattle.
Did you know? In ancient Rome, carob seeds were used as a measure of weight (the weight of one seed is about 0.2 grams). This measure still exists in jewelry under the well-known name "carat". It comes from the word "ceratonia" in Latin - Ceratonia.
Now you know what plants belong to legumes and products, what of them can be prepared, and what useful properties they are endowed with. By including legumes in your diet, you can preserve your health and the health of your loved ones, overcome various diseases and illnesses.
