Beans are a great source of protein in diets. But some lesser-
known cousins of
black-eyed peas and kidney beans may have something far
better. They may hold the key to
fighting cancer, leukemia and Parkinson’s disease.
Working at the University of
Georgia
in Griffin,
Morris maintains more than 190
legume species. Most originated in tropical countries.
| Morris is a special legume curator with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the past year, he has been on a mission to unlock potential medicinal qualities hidden inside 13 of the legume species. “Who’s ever
The “phyto” means, simply, “plant.” These bean plants
|
“For example, fish poison bean contains rotenone, which
South American natives use
to stun fish so they can be scooped from rivers,” Morris
said. “But rotenone is
also known to fight tumors in humans. In small quantities,
alkaloids can have therapeutic
value and could help fight cancer and ulcers.”
Winged bean and crotalaria also contain phytochemicals
known to fight tumors.
Crotalaria contains monocrotaline, too, which is known to
fight tumors and leukemia. And
jack bean contains canavanine, which combats flu, bacteria,
fungi and viruses.
To unlock the health benefits of these legumes, Morris is
attracting interest from
biochemists and ethnobotanists. “My job as an agronomist and
curator is to let
researchers know the potential uses of these legumes,” he
said. “I’m in search
of collaborators.”
Over the past year, Morris’ search has had some success.
A California scientist
requested winged beans for research on edible vaccines.
Winged beans contain high levels
of lectins. Medical researchers use lectins as diagnostic
tools because they bind to
certain blood cells and specialized transport cells.
The winged bean lectin, when fed to mice, reportedly
stimulated their immune systems to
produce antibodies that recognize the lectin. The same
response is noted from a vaccine.
“Edible vaccines are a new area interesting to both
scientists and the
public,” Morris said. “I’m sure everyone would much rather
ingest a vaccine
instead of getting a shot.”
A group of Italian researchers also contacted Morris. The
group is studying velvet bean
as a source of dopa, which the human brain converts into the
neurotransmitter dopamine.
Parkinson’s disease occurs when brain cells that produce
dopamine are destroyed.
Morris calls the legume collection his “unopened medicine
chest.”
“I’m trying to gain as much interest in the scientific
community as
possible,” he said. “I want to spread the word as far as
possible and maybe
reach a pharmacologist or phytochemist who is interested in
this area of research.”
Americans don’t have to wait, though, to reap the
benefits of legumes.
“Beans and other legumes are a delicious and inexpensive
way to add nutritious,
healthy foods to our diets,” said Connie
Crawley, a nutrition and health specialist with the UGA
“Research indicates a cup of beans eaten daily can lower
cholesterol as much as 12
percent, cut the risk of colon cancer, slow the rise of
blood glucose after meals and
increase a sense of fullness in those trying to control
their weight,” she said.
Crawley said soybeans in particular have received a lot
of research attention of late.
“No one is sure how much soy is needed to see the beneficial
effects,” she said.
“It may be more than what can be eaten in a normal Western
diet.”
She said the main problem is finding soybean products the
average American will eat.
“Tofu and soynuts are probably the most widely accepted,”
she said.
