Legumes from 2 Samuel 17:28, 29
As reported in the Book of Samuel, beans were among the highly nutritious foods sent to feed King David's hungry army and restore their strength for the hard times ahead. But hwy might beans have been so important?
We now know that beans are absolutely packed with soluble fiber, which helps lower LDL and reduces blood pressure. That same fiber also helps keep blood sugar levels stable, stave's off hunger and has even been shown to reduce the insulin requirements of people suffering from diabetes.
Important as they are to us today, they were even more important as a staple food in biblical times. Beans are a wonderful source of protein as well as being packed full of vitamin C, iron and dietary fiber. In the West, most of us get these either from other foods or from supplements.
Beans were also easy for these early farmers to cultivate and could be made into purees and pottages or a type of coarse bread. Another advantage was that they were easily dried and stored for use during hard times.
Bible scholars say that the beans mentioned in the Bible were broad beans because these were extensively cultivated throughout the countries of the eastern Mediterranean during that period. They are known to have also been a popular food in Egypt.
Unlike our biblical ancestors, today there is a wide range of beans to choose from - red, white and black beans, black-eyed peas, kidney, lentils, lima, pinto, white, Great Northern, navy and butter beans. All of them offer the same kind of wonderful health benefits.
Beans help lower blood pressure and reduce the "bad" cholesterol that today's research has shown to be the cause of so much devastating heart trouble - a rarity centuries ago. Beans also contain chemicals that inhibit the growth of cancer and help control insulin and blood sugar levels so vital to the good health of diabetics. On a more routine level, beans help prevent constipation. They can stop hemorrhoids and other bowel-related problems from developing and help cure them if they do.
In those ancient times, beans and garlic were often boiled together, which produced a primitive version of cough medicine that was said to stop even the most stubborn cough. But you don't have to eat beans morning, noon and night to receive the benefits. A cup of cooked beans a day may be all that's needed.
Even canned baked beans don't lose all their therapeutic strength as a result of their processing. One study found that a can of pork and beans could lower cholesterol levels by an average of 12%. But beware, most canned goods also come packed in lots of salt.