Black Beans 黑豆

Black beans provide a rich source of dietary fiber, essential vitamins, and trace minerals including iron, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, and B Vitamins, as well as potent antioxidants (anthocyanins). They are an excellent food for everyone, especially in supporting pregnancy, postpartum care, and graceful aging.

Benefits:
● Aids digestion
● Prevents constipation
● Blackens hair and prevents hair loss
● Promotes healthy bones
● Lowers the risk of heart diseases
● Reduces LDL ('bad') cholesterol levels
● Supports healthy blood pressure levels
● Reduces the impact of high-GI (glycemic index) foods on blood sugar levels
● Nourishes the kidneys
● Promotes youthful-looking skin
● Prevents weakness in the lower back and knees
● High in antioxidants to protect the eyes against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts
● Invigorates blood circulation.

Precautions:
Not recommended for individuals with chronic kidney disease.

Ingredients:
Black Beans 黑豆

Origin:
China

Suggested use:
Soak the black beans for an hour before use, or stir fry them till cracked before cooking in soups. Black beans can be combined with complementary herbs such as red dates, black dates, wolfberries, dried scallops, dù zhòng (杜仲), and hé shǒu wū (何首乌).

Storage:
Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight and heat. Best kept refrigerated once opened.

How to cook dù zhòng black beans soup (杜仲黑豆汤):
Rinse herbs before use. Soak the black beans for an hour before use. Add 1/2 black chicken, 50g dù zhòng (杜仲), 100g black beans (黑豆), 25g huái shān (淮山), 25g dǎng shēn (党参), 8 red dates (红枣), 3 black dates (黑枣), and 3-4 dried Hokkaido scallops (干贝) into a pot. Add sufficient water to cover all the ingredients. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer under low heat for 2 hours. Add a handful of wolfberries in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve it warm. This nourishing soup helps strengthen the waist and back, tonify Qi, and nourish the blood. (Serving size: 3 to 4)

In TCM, black beans are known for strengthening the kidneys and thereby promoting healthier bones, hair, libido, and fertility. They also aid in nourishing Yin and blood — Yin represents the energy that is responsible for moistening and cooling bodily functions, while blood carries nutrients, oxygen, energy, and moisture to the body cells.