The adzuki red bean is a small, red-coloured legume which is widely cultivated in Japan and China. The beans are usually boiled and sweetened to form the popular red bean paste used in various Asian dishes including desserts, pastries, buns and mooncakes. It also makes a great substitute for meat in vegetarianism and can be added to soups, stews and salads.

Haricot rouge azuki beans are a good source of protein which is broken down into amino acids in the body that help boost energy, repair cells, maintain a healthy weight and strengthen the immune system. They also contain soluble fibre which can improve digestive health.

The Little Bean with Big Health Benefits: What Adzuki Beans Can Do for You

Folate and other B vitamins found in adzuki beans are essential for pregnant women as they prevent congenital disabilities in children. They are also a good source of iron which helps fight anemia, a condition that results from the lack of hemoglobin in the blood.

Moreover, the resistant starch and dietary fibers found in adzuki beans are broken down by the microbes in the colon into short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate that help with healthy gut lining. The adzuki beans are also known to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering the levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that increases the risks of cardiovascular disorders such as stroke and heart attack.

The adzuki beans are rich in magnesium, potassium, folate, dietary fibres and B vitamins, all of which enhance heart health. They also help lower the level of cholesterol in the blood, reduce high blood pressure and acts as a natural diuretic.