Know2eat

Navy beans

Phaseolus vulgaris

What navy beans has been studied for

3 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Moderate
  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About navy beans

A small white common bean that holds its shape and thickens its own sauce, which is why it is the bean in tinned baked beans and in cassoulet. The USDA reference entry is for the raw dry seed; 100 g of dry beans yields roughly three cooked servings.

Also known as Haricot bean, Pea bean, Boston bean

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthHeart HealthGut & Digestive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Moderate

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Moderate evidence

Several trials report a low post-meal glucose response when navy beans replace refined starch, and longer pulse trials report small improvements in fasting glucose. Most of the weight behind this rating is the pulse category rather than navy beans alone.

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 lipid profile

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

Pooled analyses of pulse-feeding trials report modest LDL reductions when beans replace other foods, and navy beans appear in a reasonable number of those trials. This is category-level evidence that navy beans genuinely take part in, rather than borrow.

What may be going on: Soluble fibre and resistant starch increase faecal bile-acid loss, so the liver draws on circulating cholesterol to replace them.

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

4 sources

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

Bowel regularity

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Has been studied for stool frequency and consistency as part of the general fibre literature. Trials naming navy beans specifically are few, and adaptation to the fermentable fibre load takes a week or two.

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 Navy beans

Ask about Navy 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
Calories337 kcal17%
Protein22.3 g45%
Total fat1.5 g2%
Carbohydrate60.8 g22%
Fibre15.3 g55%
Total sugars3.88 g—
Water12.1 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.17 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.128 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.873 g—
ALA (omega-3)0.538 g—
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.335 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.02 mg0%
Vitamin K2.5 µg2%
Thiamin (B1)0.775 mg65%
Riboflavin (B2)0.164 mg13%
Niacin (B3)2.19 mg14%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.744 mg15%
Vitamin B60.428 mg25%
Folate364 µg91%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline87.4 mg16%
Minerals
Calcium147 mg11%
Iron5.49 mg31%
Magnesium175 mg42%
Phosphorus407 mg33%
Potassium1185 mg25%
Sodium5 mg0%
Zinc3.65 mg33%
Copper0.834 mg93%
Manganese1.42 mg62%
Selenium11 µg20%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash3.32 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, navy, mature seeds, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173745).

% 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.

  • boiledReduces phytohaemagglutinin

    Ten minutes at a full rolling boil destroys the lectin. This step is not optional for any dry common bean, and prolonged low-temperature cooking does not substitute for it.

  • cookedIncreases resistant starch

    Cooking then chilling retrogrades part of the starch into resistant starch, which is fermented in the colon rather than absorbed as glucose.

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

    Undercooked common beans and phytohaemagglutinin

    Navy beans are Phaseolus vulgaris, the same species as red kidney beans, and carry the same toxic lectin at lower concentration. Dried beans should be soaked, the water discarded, then boiled vigorously for at least ten minutes before simmering to tenderness. Cooking below boiling point — the classic slow-cooker mistake — can leave the lectin active or make it more toxic than in the raw bean.

  • Worth knowing

    Tinned baked beans are a different food

    The nutrient panel here is for plain dry navy beans. Tinned baked beans add sugar and a substantial amount of sodium in the sauce, which is where most of their nutritional character comes from.

  • Worth knowing

    FODMAPs and IBS

    Navy beans are high in galacto-oligosaccharides and commonly cause gas and bloating, particularly in irritable bowel syndrome. Rinsing tinned beans removes some of the leached sugars.

  • Worth knowing

    Phytate and mineral absorption

    Phytate binds iron and zinc within the meal, reducing absorption of the minerals the bean itself supplies.