13 health benefits of broad beans (fava beans)

These large, flat-sided, bright green legumes are familiar to most of us, but did you know that in their dry form they can be ground to make a gluten-free flour and used in recipes like pancakes and pizza? Keep reading for more nutritionist-approved facts about these versatile beans.

What are broad/fava beans?

One of the earliest cultivated foods, broad beans, also referred to as fava beans, are packed with vitamins including the B group, as well as minerals like iron, manganese and potassium. Historically, broad beans were an important food staple because they could be stored in their dried form for long periods, but with the introduction of the potato during the 16th century, they lost popularity. The dried fruit of a smaller seeded variety of broad bean are typically known as fava beans, and are popular in Middle Eastern dishes.

What are the health benefits of broad beans?

1. Nutrient-rich
2. Plant source of protein
3. Gut-healthy
4. May help support immune function
5. May help manage blood sugar levels
6. May support bone strength
7. May support healthy bowel function
8. May support blood pressure
9. May support heart health
10. May help with the symptoms of Parkinson’s
11. May support iron-deficiency anaemia
12. May aid weight management
13. Makes a gluten-free flour alternative

Discover our full range of health benefit guides including why you should eat more beans and pulses, and check out some of our favourite recipes like our pea and broad bean shakshuka and our chilli broad bean fritters with homemade labneh.

Nutritional profile of broad beans

An 80g portion of broad beans (boiled) provides:

• 38 kcals/163 kJ
• 4.1g protein
• 0.6g fat
• 4.5g carbohydrates
• 5.8g fibre
• 26mcg folate
• 16mg vitamin C

Three tablespoons or 80g (cooked weight) of broad beans counts as one of your five-a-day – but only one, regardless of how much you eat. This is because, though beans have a lot going for them, they generally contain a less diverse range of vitamins and minerals than other fruit and vegetables.

What are the top health benefits of broad beans?

1. Nutrient-rich

Broad beans are a useful source of vitamins and minerals including iron, manganese and potassium, as well as the B group of vitamins, which help support nerve and brain function.

2. Plant protein source

Often mistakenly described as an ‘incomplete protein’, beans contain all the essential amino acids we need for growth and repair, but at lower levels. This isn’t a problem, however, when included as part of a varied, balanced diet. As such, broad beans make a valuable contribution to a plant-focused diet.

3. Gut-healthy

Broad beans are rich in fibre, including soluble fibre, which is gentle on the gut, as well as resistant starch, which is used as a food source by the beneficial bacteria that live in our gut, helping them thrive and increase in number and diversity.

4. May help support immune function

Laboratory studies suggest that compounds in broad beans may help support protective, antioxidant activity and as such help immune function. Such compounds may enhance the action of the master antioxidant, glutathione, which plays a key role in delaying cellular ageing.

5. May help manage blood sugar levels

The same plant compounds that help support immunity through their protective antioxidant effects may also help manage blood sugar levels. Broad beans also have a low to moderate glycaemic index (GI); this means they are a useful dietary inclusion for stabilising blood sugar levels and managing diabetes.

6. May support bone strength

Broad beans are useful contributors of both manganese and copper, studies in both animals and humans suggest these minerals play a useful role in preventing bone loss.

7. May support healthy bowel function

Much of the fibre in broad beans is soluble fibre, this type of fibre is gentler on the gut and promotes healthy bowel habits by absorbing water, forming a gel-like substance and softening the stool making it is easier to pass.

8. May support blood pressure

Broad beans are useful sources of magnesium and potassium, minerals that play an important role in relaxing blood vessels and managing high blood pressure. A 10-year study of over 28,000 women found that those who ate diets rich in foods that provide magnesium, like broad beans, were less likely to develop high blood pressure.

9. May support heart health

As well as helping to manage blood pressure, broad beans may support the heart and cardiovascular system in other ways, including lowering cholesterol levels. Broad beans contain soluble fibre that aids in binding and removing cholesterol from the body. Therefore, including beans regularly in the diet may help manage total cholesterol and more specifically, LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol.

10. May help with the symptoms of Parkinson’s

Broad beans contain L-dopa, a compound and precursor to the brain chemical dopamine. L-dopa is used by medical professionals in the treatment of Parkinson’s, and there have been some suggestions that consuming broad beans may be helpful for those with mild symptoms. Eating broad beans alongside prescribed L-dopa may prolong the action of the prescribed drug, although more research is needed.

11. May support iron-deficiency anaemia

Eating iron-rich foods, like broad beans, may be helpful for those with iron-deficiency anaemia. If you’ve been diagnosed with this condition, it’s likely that your haemoglobin levels are low. This protein is needed to carry oxygen in the blood, so low levels result in fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath. Regularly eating iron-rich foods, including plant-sourced foods, may be helpful.

12. May aid weight management

Eating foods that are rich in protein and fibre may help you consume fewer calories and assist with weight control because they improve our sense of fullness. Balancing blood sugar levels may also help minimise carb cravings.

13. Gluten-free flour alternative

Fava bean flour is a gluten-free, nutrient-dense, high-protein flour made from finely milled dried fava beans. Its mild flavour makes it suitable for sweet and savoury baking, pancakes and pizzas, or for thickening sauces.

So, are broad beans good for you?

Broad beans are a nutritious addition to most diets, however some people who have a rare genetic trait (Glucose-6-phosphate deficiency) may experience a severe, sometimes life-threatening allergic reaction, known as favism. This reaction may occur when eating the beans or breathing the pollen of the plant, and involves the rapid destruction of red blood cells, which leads to haemolytic anaemia.

That said, for the majority of us, eating broad beans as part of a balanced diet offers a number of health benefits, including for the heart, gut and bones, as well as for weight management.

Enjoyed this? Now read…

What to do with broad beans
Top 20 healthiest vegetables
The 20 healthiest green vegetables (and their benefits)
Top 5 health benefits of broccoli
Are baked beans healthy?

Get more inspiration with these delicious broad bean recipes:

Chicken skewers with broad bean hummus
Lemony broad beans with goat’s cheese, peas & mint
Broad bean, feta & watercress salad
Broad bean pasta

Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a BANT Registered Nutritionist® with a postgraduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including Good Food.