Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis
1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
A subspecies of cowpea whose immature pods grow to half a metre or more and are stir-fried as a vegetable across South-East Asia. The USDA reference entry here is for the mature dry seed, not the long green pod most people picture.
Also known as Asparagus bean, Snake bean, Long bean, Bora
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.
There is no dependable human research on yardlong beans and blood glucose. What exists is either about cowpeas in general or about the fresh pod as a vegetable, and neither can be read as evidence for this seed.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
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.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 347 kcal | 17% |
| Protein | 24.3 g | 49% |
| Total fat | 1.31 g | 2% |
| Carbohydrate | 61.9 g | 23% |
| Fibre | 11 g | 39% |
| Water | 8.43 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 0.339 g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.114 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.565 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 0.308 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 3 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 1.6 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.887 mg | 74% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.235 mg | 18% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.16 mg | 13% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 1.56 mg | 31% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.371 mg | 22% |
| Folate | 658 µg | 165% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 138 mg | 11% |
| Iron | 8.61 mg | 48% |
| Magnesium | 338 mg | 80% |
| Phosphorus | 559 mg | 45% |
| Potassium | 1157 mg | 25% |
| Sodium | 17 mg | 1% |
| Zinc | 3.5 mg | 32% |
| Copper | 0.879 mg | 98% |
| Manganese | 1.59 mg | 69% |
| Selenium | 8.2 µg | 15% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Ash | 4.03 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: Yardlong beans, mature seeds, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174281).
% 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.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Polyphenol (class)
An umbrella term for thousands of plant phenolic compounds. Useful as a category, but a "high polyphenol" figure says nothing about which compounds…
Fermentable carbohydrate
Starch that escapes digestion in the small intestine and is fermented in the colon. Cooking and cooling starchy foods increases the amount present.
Glycoside
Soap-like glycosides in legumes and quinoa. Bitter, which is why quinoa is rinsed before cooking.
Phosphate ester
The main phosphorus store in seeds. Reduces absorption of iron and zinc from the same meal; soaking, sprouting and fermentation lower it.
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.
Soaking the dry seed and discarding the water lowers phytate and leaches some of the gas-forming sugars.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Worth knowing
Nutrient figures on this page describe the mature dry bean. The fresh pod sold in Asian groceries is mostly water and behaves nutritionally like a green vegetable, with a small fraction of the protein and none of the starch load.
Worth knowing
The dry mature seed carries the oligosaccharide load common to pulses and can provoke gas and bloating.
Worth knowing
As with other dry pulses, phytate in the seed lowers absorption of iron and zinc from the meal.