Review Article
Year: 2019 | Month: April | Volume: 9 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 304-310
Adzuki Beans- Physical and Nutritional Characteristics of Beans and Its Health Benefits
Srishti Agarwal1, Ekta Singh Chauhan2
1Research Scholar, 2Associate Professor,
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India
Corresponding Author: Ekta Singh Chauhan
ABSTRACT
Adzuki (Vigna angularis) has been grown and consumed by humans for centuries in various parts of the world like China. However, adzuki’s global use for human consumption has been restrained partly due to limited knowledge about its nutrient composition and the processing challenges faced in making adzuki-based food products. Over the past decade, the recognition that Vigna angularis is gluten-free has raised global interest. Consequently, literature on the nutritional composition, processing quality, and health benefits of adzuki has grown considerably. The existing literature suggests that adzuki is composed of complex carbohydrates with slowly digestible starch. Adzuki has similar protein content to other more common cereals like wheat, but is relatively richer than other cereals in the essential amino acid lysine. Adzuki is also a good source of essential fatty acids, fiber, minerals (especially calcium and iron), and phytochemicals such as polyphenols and phytates. Existing studies of the nutrition and health benefits of adzuki are limited since they fail to take into account differences in adzuki varieties and growing conditions. Nevertheless, the studies undertaken so far confirm adzuki’s excellent nutrient profile and suggest it has considerable potential globally to be a functional food for health promotion and disease prevention.
Key words: China, polyphenols, amino acids, functional, digestible.