9 BEAN CULTURE 



When the skins of beans were removed there was 

 less tendency for the formation of gas in the intes- 

 tines during digestion. The germ and skin are the 

 parts most fermentable and produce sulphuretted 

 gaseous products during digestion. Not more than 

 6 ounces of baked beans should be consumed in 

 a day. Beans are rather slowly digested, but 90 

 per cent of the dry matter in the beans was digested 

 and utilized by the body in the experiments in 

 question. The nutrients differ in character from the 

 same class of nutrients in cereal foods. The protein 

 is mainly in the form of legumin. The other extract 

 is small in amount, but has practically the same 

 heat producing power as in other foods. Discus- 

 sing the cost of beans as compared with other 

 foods and their importance in the diet, Professor 

 Snyder concludes that beans at ordinary prices are 

 among the cheapest foods for supplying protein. A 

 pound of beans costing 5 cents contains about 1-5 

 pound of digestible protein and somewhat less than 

 3-5 pound of digestive carbohydrates, mainly in the 

 form of starch. Professor Snyder's experiments 

 show that beans are suitable for persons engaged 

 in active outdoor work, rather than for those of 

 sedentary habits of life, though if well cooked, they 

 may be safely eaten in small quantities by those 

 who are not actively engaged in manual labor. 

 While the amount of protein is large, beans contain 

 only a small amount of fat and hence the addition 

 of fat, either by salt pork or butter, in preparing 

 for the table is reasonable, since in addition to im- 

 proving the flavor, it makes a better balanced article 

 of diet. 



