The Best Bean

Don’t get too cocky, though. There are many other magic beans out there. Chickpeas, split peas, lentils, kidney beans, and yellow split peas. This is what the graph looks like. Two of those in that list belong in the same antioxidant-packed class as black and pinto beans, but there are three (relative) loser legumes. Now #3 are those wonderful dark red kidney beans, but what’s #2?

Four left to choose from. Three of these are relative losers, but one is the second most power-packed antioxidant legume on the planet—or at least so far tested. Chickpeas, split peas, lentils, or yellow split peas. 

If you said yellow split peas, “peas” take your seat. Green split peas, also wrong. If you said lentils, you’re right! Lentils #2; chickpeas #7! Chickpeas are still super healthy, but comparatively less so, compared to these superstars.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Dianne Moore.

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• U.S. Department of Agriculture. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods—2007. November 2007.

• antioxidants
• beans
• black beans
• chickpeas
• kidney beans
• lentils
• pinto beans
• split peas