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Black beans

Phaseolus vulgaris

Also known as Turtle beans, Frijoles negros

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A common bean variety whose dark seed coat carries anthocyanin pigments, staple across Latin America and the Caribbean. The USDA reference entry is for the raw dry bean, which roughly triples in weight when boiled.

Heart HealthBlood Sugar & Metabolic HealthGut & Digestive Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

Pooled analyses of pulse-feeding trials report modest reductions in LDL cholesterol, with black beans included among the pulses studied rather than tested in isolation.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Insufficient evidence

Several trials report a substantially lower post-meal glucose and insulin response when black beans replace rice or other refined starch in a meal.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Gut microbiome

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Several trials report increased short-chain fatty acid production and shifts in bacterial composition with regular bean intake, driven by resistant starch and oligosaccharides reaching the colon.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Black beans

Ask about Black beans

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories341 kcal17%
Protein21.6 g43%
Total fat1.42 g2%
Carbohydrate62.4 g23%
Fibre15.5 g55%
Total sugars2.12 g—
Water11 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.366 g2%
Monounsaturated fat0.123 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.61 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.332 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.21 mg1%
Vitamin K5.6 µg5%
Thiamin (B1)0.9 mg75%
Riboflavin (B2)0.193 mg15%
Niacin (B3)1.96 mg12%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.899 mg18%
Vitamin B60.286 mg17%
Folate444 µg111%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline66.4 mg12%
Minerals
Calcium123 mg9%
Iron5.02 mg28%
Magnesium171 mg41%
Phosphorus352 mg28%
Potassium1483 mg32%
Sodium5 mg0%
Zinc3.65 mg33%
Copper0.841 mg93%
Manganese1.06 mg46%
Selenium3.2 µg6%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash3.6 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Beans, black, mature seeds, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173734).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • soakedReduces oligosaccharides and phytate

    Soaking and discarding the water reduces the oligosaccharides that cause flatulence and lowers phytate, at the cost of some anthocyanins and water-soluble nutrients leaching out.

  • cookedIncreases resistant starch

    Cooking and then cooling black beans increases resistant starch, lowering the glucose response and increasing colonic fermentation on reheating.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Avoid

    Raw and undercooked beans

    Like all common beans, black beans contain phytohaemagglutinin and must be boiled thoroughly. Dried beans should be soaked, drained and then boiled hard for at least ten minutes before any slow simmering; a slow cooker alone may not reach a high enough temperature.

  • Worth knowing

    FODMAPs and IBS

    Black beans are high in galacto-oligosaccharides and are among the more reliable triggers of bloating and wind in irritable bowel syndrome. Rinsing canned beans well removes a useful share.

  • Worth knowing

    Phytate and mineral absorption

    Bean phytate binds iron and zinc from the same meal, and bean iron is non-heme and less readily absorbed. Pairing beans with a vitamin C source improves iron uptake.

  • Worth knowing

    Sodium in canned beans

    Canned beans are usually packed in salted liquid. Draining and rinsing removes a substantial share of the sodium along with some of the gas-forming oligosaccharides.