Green Beans

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What green beans are · young pods of the bean family

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Green beans contain a protein called phytohemagglutinin (PHA), a plant lectin. It sticks to the surface of the small-intestine villi like glue and gums up the absorbing surface, causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. But it is a protein, and cooking the beans through makes it fall apart. So what poisons people is never green beans as such; it is undercooked green beans. The two most common home methods — a high-heat stir-fry, or a quick blanch followed by a fast stir-fry — are exactly the ones most likely to leave the center of the pod short of temperature. The mechanism, and how to tell when beans are cooked through, are laid out in the later chapter on why undercooked beans make you sick.

After eating undercooked green beans, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps usually start within 1–3 hours, and most cases clear up fairly quickly on their own; if vomiting and diarrhea are severe or you become dehydrated, get medical care promptly.

Sijidou, doujiao, yundou, and caidou all name the same thing: the young pods of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), eaten pod and all before the seeds mature. Nutritionally it is a classic low-calorie vegetable: lots of water, a fair amount of fiber, little sugar.

Educational content, not medical advice — consult a clinician.

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