Often used for making red bean paste, the dark-red colored adzuki beans are not just nutty and sweet in taste. They are also highly nutritious.

These beans are rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. They also contain large quantities of dietary fiber, folic acid, B vitamins, as well as trace minerals such as copper, manganese and zinc.

Adzuki beans are filled with molybdenum, a trace mineral, which is needed for the production of sulfite oxidase – one of the most important enzymes in sulfoxidation (a liver detoxification pathway). Poor sulfoxidation is linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple chemical sensitivities and diet-responsive autism.

Often a part of the macrobiotic diet, it is considered one of the easier-to-digest legumes.

References
[1] Collins, Elise Marie. An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods: A Shopper’s Companion. San Francisco, California: Conari Press, 2009. Print.
[2] Murray, Michael, ND., Pizzorno, Joseph, ND., and Pizzorno, Lara, MA, LMT. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2005. Print.

Cindy L. TJOL is trained in Psychology, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has several years of experience writing on natural health on the internet. Follow her on her blog and read her other articles at Insights On Health.com.