Today there is much interest in gluten free foods.However, there is much confusion about which gluten free foods are healthy and which are not.
Often in the health food industry, good products get rave press, whilst other much better foods get almost completely overlooked.
Since health food trends are dictated by business and promotional objectives rather than upon sound dietary information, the outcome for the consumer can be confusing if not downright misleading.
In business, there seems to be a never ending drive for the next best thing. The new thing is the thing to sell. The old stuff gets discarded and lots of hype and excitement go into driving sales of the new product.
In this way, the health industry is actually becoming more and more like a fashion industry with each new seasons change of health fashions coming and going like the wind.
Diet fads and food crazes might be good for business but they do not help our health.
Fava Bean flour compared to Quinoa and Buckwheat.
Let’s have a look at Buckwheat and Quinoa for example. These flours are nutritious and healthy but are they really superfoods? In order to answer this question, we take three key nutritional factors and compare results.
Protein Comparison
Protein is considered to be the building blocks of every cell in the body. In many ways, it is perhaps the most important aspect to look at from a nutritional perspective.
Fava bean flour has between 28-32% protein compared to Quinoa which has between 4.4% and 8% protein. That means that Fava bean flour has 300-400 % more protein than Quinoa!
According to Nutrition Data, Buckwheat, on the other hand, has 12.6% protein. Whereas this is a considerably better result than Quinoa, it pales in comparison to Fava Bean flour.
With protein intake critical for vegetarians and especially vegans, you would expect a great roar of approval for fava bean flour as a quality path to protein uptake. What we find instead is a deafening silence.
Fiber Comparison
Fava bean flour has 18.6gms of fiber per 100gm serving. Compare this to Quinoa which has just 7gms. Buckwheat has 12gms. So Fava Bean flour has far greater fiber content than either Quinoa or Buckwheat.
Fiber is crucially important for our overall health as it means that the body is able to detoxify waste by regular bowel motions. Fiber and starches together feed valuable bacteria in the gut creating a biome which can effectively boost the immune system.
Carbohydrate Comparison
Most health conscious people acknowledge that they should not overdo carbohydrates and minimize foods with too much starch.
Fava bean flour has a total carbohydrate content of 34%. Buckwheat, on the other hand, has 70% and Quinoa 64.2% So fava bean flour has up to half the carbohydrates of two other so called superfoods.
Nutritional Analysis
Whether you compare Fava Bean flour for protein, carbohydrates or fiber, the results are the same. In every case, the fava bean flour is clearly superior. In most cases, fava beans are superior to the other supposed ‘superfoods’.
In the USA and Australia, this bean is fed to cattle. Quite tragic when you consider it is one of the most flavorsome and nutritious flours available. So whilst it is widely cultivated, it is so very hard to find even though it is such a superb gluten free flour.
With a high flavor and protein level between 28%-33%, Fava Bean flour complements most baked foods and cake mixes beautifully. The flavor component is sensational. It has no known allergic reactions and so it is also suitable for those who suffer from food allergies.
All that on top of its terrific nutritional profile!
Phosphorous, The Most Abundant mineral in the Human Body
Fava Beans are rich in phosphorus which is the most abundant mineral in the human body.
Phosphorus is also one of the least talked about but one of the most important minerals required by the body to maintain overall health.
Just 100gm of fava beans supply an incredible three times the daily bodily requirements for phosphorus.
Phosphorus is needed for a vast array of bodily needs. It is required to maintain bone and tooth enamel strength, balance the hormonal system, maintain an even flow of energy and provide muscle strength.
Phosphorus is also necessary to balance fluid levels which ensure that the body is able to excrete toxins and keep the body waste free. Phosphorus is also germane to regulating heartbeat and overall cardiovascular health.
Even our cognitive abilities rest to a large extent on correct phosphorus levels.
The wear and tear of our bodies of aging require constant repair. Phosphorus helps create proteins which ensure not only the proper growth of cells but also ensure their constant repair.
So phosphorus ensures that all the proteins in the body are absorbed and deployed to offset aging.
Most importantly, insufficient phosphorus means that the body cannot synthesize macro nutrients from food.
The benefits of phosphorus in fava beans seems never ending….the efficient digestion of vitamins.
According to Draxe.com, even sexual problems like frigidity and impotence can be created by an insufficient phosphorus level.
Fava bean flour is an exceptional life giving food by any standard – a fact which has been by and large still ignored by health journalists and Western menus alike.
Fava bean flour not only has a delicious full flavor akin to macadamia nut, it has high protein, high fiber, and low carbohydrate levels. It is also rich in phosphorus.
For all these reasons, we consider fava bean flour as a true superfood. The clear winner from a nutritional and flavor perspective over either Buckwheat or Quinoa.
