Green beans? Yup!!! Now is the time to take advantage of them: popular all year round, in the freezer version, in June they are fresh from the plant and at the highest quality.

Before exploring the properties of the green bean, it is good to resolve an upstream question: is it a legume, or a vegetable? Well, technically it is a legume, but its nutritional characteristics are actually closer to those of a vegetable. Although - and this is fine - green beans satisfy the appetite like a bean. And then, of course, unlike peas, chickpeas, etc., the pod is also eaten of green beans.

Let's start with vitamins, which are their strong point : the podium goes to A, followed by C and K, which guarantees the correct functionality of some proteins that make our bones strong. Also present are various of group B. Then there are minerals, first of all potassium, a fundamental mineral that among other things reduces water retention. And then calcium - notable from a vegetable source - and iron, magnesium, manganesium, phosphorus: green beans undoubtedly have remineralizing properties.

They are rich in fiber, excellent for promoting intestinal transit (providential in case of constipation), and are free of acid component . Compared to beans - of which they are nothing other than immature pods - they have few proteins, but they are not entirely devoid of it - and proteins are one of the few beneficial elements that remain intact even in frozen green beans.

Made up of 90% water, they have diuretic and refreshing properties. It's not over: antioxidants. In particular, they contain the powerful flavonoids, and then beta-carotene and lutein. They have positive effects on the health of various organs and on the immune system, and are known to be anti-aging allies , starting with the skin and eyes.

Really low in carbohydrates and sugars, they are a decidedly low-calorie food: 20/30 calories per 100 grams! They are therefore perfect for the diet, because in addition to everything they satiate. A recent scientific study published in the American Journal of Nutrion showed that flavonoids help reduce body fat . A diet rich in foods containing them would therefore be a valid alternative to reducing calorie intake: in June, take advantage of fresh green beans!