Is the fiber in cooked beans as good as the fiber in raw veggies?!

Is the fiber in cooked beans as good as the fiber in raw veggies?

I think I heard that if you cook a food with fiber it softens the fibers, and it's not as good for you as the raw stuff. But you obviously can't eat uncooked beans though.

With beans, you just about have to cook them unless you want to eat them as sprouts. However, cooking beans does nothing to diminish the health benefits from eating them.

Including beans in the diet on a regular basis can help control weight. Beans are low in both fat and calories, and high in dietary fiber and protein. The dietary fiber in beans helps slow the absorption of carbohydrate, which may prevent hunger from re-occurring as soon.

As a diabetic, I appreciate the high content of dietary fiber in beans, especially soluble fiber, which helps slow the absorption rate of carbohydrate. A slower rate of carbohydrate absorption moderates blood sugar peaks related to food intake.

The nutrient profile of beans contributes to heart health. Beans are low in total fat, saturated fat and sodium. They are high in dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber; folate, a B-vitamin; potassium; and other minerals. Beans help maintain normal ranges for several risk factors for heart disease: blood cholesterol, blood pressure and blood homocysteine levels.

Beans are a good source of “resistant starch.” The breakdown products from “resistant starch” appear to play a role in reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Beans are an excellent protein source for vegetarians providing more than twice as much protein per serving as cereal grains. Combining beans and cereal grains together provides all the protein building blocks (amino acids) required in the diet. Beans are also a good source of iron and zinc for vegetarians who consume no meat.

We should all Include ? cup of beans several times each week, combined with a well-balanced diet, a recent clinical trial showed a reduced risk of heart disease for legume eaters.