The researchers presented the results in  Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture Thursday. 

    Beans are a cheap source of protein and contain no saturated fat. Many people would eat more of them if it wasn't for the flatulence.

    Flatulence is caused by bacteria that live in the large intestine breaking down parts of the food that have not been digested higher in the gut, and releasing gas.

    Marisela Granito and Glenda Alvarez of Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela have shown that fermenting beans--allowing natural bacterial cultures to develop and break down the raw food--reduces the number of indigestible compounds. Such lactic acid bacteria are already used to help create products like yogurt.

    Researchers identified two bacteria, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, which can be added to beans to remove fibers and make more nutrients available.

    They also discovered that once these fermented beans are cooked, the amounts of nutrients in the bean that could be digested and absorbed had increased significantly.  

    Researchers tested black beans, known scientifically as Phaseolus vulgaris.

    When the researchers fermented black beans with the two bacteria, they found it decreased the soluble fiber content by more than 60 percent and lowered levels of raffinose, a compound known to cause gas, by 88 percent.

    They fed the beans to rats and then analyzed the rats' droppings to ensure that the beans were digested and kept their nutritional value.

    When pre-soaked in the Lactobacillus casei, the beans stayed nutritious and produced few gas-causing compounds, they reported. Enditem

(Agencies)