Faba Bean

Other Names : Vicia faba L., broad bean, fava bean is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae.
See also : Vicia

Special Precautions of Faba Bean

• Toxicity :
  • Beans generally contain phytohaemagglutinin, a lectin that occurs naturally in plants, animals, and humans. Most of the relatively low toxin concentrations found in V. faba can be destroyed by boiling the beans for 10 minutes.
  • Broad beans are rich in levodopa, and should thus be avoided by those taking irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors to prevent a pressor response.
• Genetic predisposition : Sufferers of favism must avoid broad beans, as they contain the alkaloid glycoside vicine which may initiate a hemolytic crisis.[19] A low-content vicine-convicine faba bean line was identified in the 1980s and the trait has been introduced into several modern cultivars. Low vicine-convicine faba beans are safe for consumption by G6PD-deficient individuals. As of 2019, a molecular marker may be used for marker-assisted breeding to reduce levels of vicine-convicine in fava beans.

Health Benefits of Faba Bean

The dietary consumption of legumes is associated with a lower incidence of chronic degenerative diseases. Among legumes, a growing interest is devoted to Faba bean (Vicia faba L.), also known as broad bean. Faba bean nutritional properties have been previously studied and several polyphenols (mainly flavonoids) have been evaluated in broad bean extracts. In our study, the literature on polyphenol content in different varieties of Faba bean and on factors that modulate their levels was reviewed. Also, data on bioaccessibility and bioavailability of the main polyphenols contained in Faba bean were reviewed. The molecular mechanisms, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties, by which Faba bean polyphenols could be involved in the protection against the development of human diseases are described.

Reference

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311931044_Review_of_the_health_benefits_of_Faba_bean_Vicia_faba_L_polyphenols
• "Bad Bug Book (2012)" (PDF). Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook: Phytohaemagglutinin. United States Food and Drug Administration. p. 254. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
• Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. "MAOIs and diet: Is it necessary to restrict tyramine?". Mayo Clinic.
• Felker, Angela (2008). "Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors: A Modern Guide to an Unrequited Class of Antidepressants". CNS Spectrums. 13 (10): 855–870. doi:10.1017/S1092852900016965. PMID 18955941. S2CID 6118722.
• Jennifer E. Frank (October 2005). "Diagnosis and management of G6PD deficiency". American Family Physician. 72 (7): 1277–82. PMID 16225031.
• Khazaei, H; others (2019-09-01). "Eliminating vicine and convicine, the main anti-nutritional factors restricting faba bean usage". Trends in Food Science and Technology.