Green bean vs. Yardlong bean — Nutrition Comparison and Health Impact

Calories

Green beans have 31 calories per 100g, whereas yardlong bean contains 47 calories per 100g. Both are considered low-calorie food.

Carbs

Yardlong beans are extremely low in carbohydrates. They have 8g of carbs per 100 g serving. However, they are deficient in dietary fiber. Green beans have 6.97g of carbs per 100g, of which 2.7g is fiber, and 4.27g is net carbs.

Minerals

Yardlong beans have more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, and less sodium than green beans. 

However, green bean provides more iron and copper. 

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Green bean raw

2

Yardlong bean (Asparagus bean) raw

7

Contains more IronIron	+119.1%
Contains more CopperCopper	+43.8%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+76%
Contains more CalciumCalcium	+35.1%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+13.7%
Contains more ZincZinc	+54.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+55.3%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-33.3%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+150%

~equal in Manganese ~0.205mg

Vitamins

Green bean contains a significantly higher amount of Vitamin B3, three times more B5, and four times more B6. 

Yardlong bean provides more Vitamin A, C, B1, and folate.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Green bean raw

6

Yardlong bean (Asparagus bean) raw

4

Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+79%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+309.1%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+487.5%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+∞%
Contains more CholineCholine	+∞%

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+54.1%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+25.4%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+30.5%
Contains more FolateFolate	+87.9%

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0.11mg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Glycemic Index

Green beans are lower in GI than yardlong beans. Despite having a low sugar content, yardlong beans have a high glycemic index. The GI of green beans is 20, which is considered a low glycemic index.

Acidity

The pH value of yardlong and green beans, generally, has been calculated to be equal to 3.3, making them alkaline food.

Diabetes

Almost all vegetables, including yardlong beans, can help control blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes.

Yardlong beans contain chemical compounds that may help increase insulin production and glucose absorption, which aids in managing diabetes.

Because yardlong beans are low in calories and sugar, they are suitable for diabetic diets [1].

Cancer

Both yardlong and green beans contain a lot of antioxidants. They are high in Vitamin C, beta-carotene, a variety of carotenoids such as lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin, and flavonoids such as quercetin, kaempferol, catechin, epicatechins, and procyanidins, all of which have antioxidant properties and may help prevent certain types of cancer [2].

Allergy

People with favism or immune allergies to legumes should avoid consuming them.

Some people who are allergic to legumes are sensitive to all types of legumes. In contrast, others may consume various legumes and experience symptoms from only one or two types of legumes. Symptoms of a legume allergy include abdominal pain and vomiting, itching, redness of the skin, and hives, which often appear around the mouth. Wheezing and anaphylaxis are symptoms of severe cases [3].