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

Calories

Yardlong beans provide more calories per hundred grams than green beans. A hundred grams of yardlong beans provide 47 calories, whereas green beans have 35 calories. One serving of green beans (1 cup or 125g ) has 44 kcal, whereas one serving of yardlong beans (1 cup or 104g) provides 49 kcal.

Protein

Green beans and yardlong beans are not good sources of protein. A hundred grams of green beans have 1.89 grams of protein, whereas yardlong beans provide 2.53 grams. 

Fats

Green beans and yardlong beans contain less than 0.5g of fat. In a 100g serving, green beans and yardlong beans have 0.28g and 0.1g of fat, respectively. Green beans provide more monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, whereas yardlong beans provide less saturated fats.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Yardlong beans

1

:

2

Green bean

Contains less Saturated Fat -59.4%

Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +22.2%

Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +245.2%

Yardlong beans

Saturated Fat: 0.026 g

Monounsaturated Fat: 0.009 g

Polyunsaturated fat: 0.042 g

Green bean

Saturated Fat: 0.064 g

Monounsaturated Fat: 0.011 g

Polyunsaturated fat: 0.145 g

Contains less Saturated Fat -59.4%

Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +22.2%

Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +245.2%

Carbohydrates

Overall, yardlong beans have more carbs compared to green beans. In a 100g serving, green beans and yardlong beans have 7.88g and 9.18g of total carbs, respectively. A hundred grams of green beans provide 4.68g of net carbs, whereas yardlong beans provide 9.18g. Green beans also provide 3.2g of dietary fiber.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Yardlong beans

0

:

0

Green bean

Yardlong beans

Green bean

Cholesterol

Green beans and yardlong beans do not contain cholesterol.

Vitamins

Green bean has over 1.4 times more vitamin A, 1.5 times more vitamin B5, and two times more vitamin B6, whereas yardlong bean has 1.7 times more vitamin C and 1.4 times more folate.

Moreover, green beans contain more vitamin K and vitamin E, whereas yardlong beans provide more vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin). Both lack vitamin D.

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.

Yardlong beans

5

:

5

Green bean

Contains more Vitamin C +67%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +14.9%

Contains more Folate +36.4%

Contains more Vitamin A +40.7%

Contains more Vitamin B5 +45.1%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +133.3%

Equal in Vitamin B2 - 0.097

Equal in Vitamin B3 - 0.614

Yardlong beans

Green bean

Contains more Vitamin C +67%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +14.9%

Contains more Folate +36.4%

Contains more Vitamin A +40.7%

Contains more Vitamin B5 +45.1%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +133.3%

Equal in Vitamin B2 - 0.097

Equal in Vitamin B3 - 0.614

Minerals

Yardlong bean has over 2.3 times more magnesium, two times more potassium, over two times more phosphorus, and 7.5 times more selenium. On the other hand, green bean has more choline, manganese, and copper. Yardlong bean also has more iron and zinc, whereas green bean has less sodium. They have an equal amount of calcium. 

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.

Yardlong beans

6

:

3

Green bean

Contains more Iron +50.8%

Contains more Magnesium +133.3%

Contains more Phosphorus +96.6%

Contains more Potassium +98.6%

Contains more Zinc +44%

Contains more Selenium +650%

Contains less Sodium -75%

Contains more Copper +21.3%

Contains more Manganese +41.8%

Equal in Calcium - 44

Yardlong beans

Green bean

Contains more Iron +50.8%

Contains more Magnesium +133.3%

Contains more Phosphorus +96.6%

Contains more Potassium +98.6%

Contains more Zinc +44%

Contains more Selenium +650%

Contains less Sodium -75%

Contains more Copper +21.3%

Contains more Manganese +41.8%

Equal in Calcium - 44

Oxalate

Green beans provide over two times more oxalate. The oxalate content of green beans is 65 mg, whereas yaedlong beans have an oxalate level of 29 mg.

Glycemic Load

The glycemic load of green beans is 1, whereas yardlong beans have a glycemic load of 8. The GL of both falls in the low category.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index of green beans is equal to 20. Yardlong beans have a glycemic index of 86. The GI of green beans falls in the low category, whereas yardlong beans fall in the high-GI food category.

Acidity

The potential renal acid load (PRAL) level indicates the food's capacity to degrade into bases or acids within the body. Green beans have a PRAL level of -2.1, whereas the PRAL value of yardlong beans is -4.4. Both are alkaline-forming.

Cardiovascular Health

The review found that bean consumption, such as green and yardlong beans,  is significantly associated with a lower risk of CVD and coronary heart disease. However, the association between stroke is insignificant (1, 2). 

Thanks to their high levels of beneficial nutrients, a diet rich in beans can boost health by lowering the risk of heart disease and obesity. 

They may improve lipid profile, increase blood glucose and weight control, and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress (3).

Ocular System

Green beans have more vitamin A than yardlong beans. Vitamin A is crucial for vision as it enables your eye to produce pigments necessary for the retina. A deficiency in vitamin A hinders the production of these pigments, resulting in night blindness. Additionally, vitamin A is essential for nourishing other parts of the eye, such as the cornea, to maintain proper eye lubrication (4).

Nervous System

The findings indicate that bean phosphatidylserine (PS) can help prevent memory and learning impairment induced by. That suggests that Bean-PS could be a promising treatment for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease (5).

Yardlong beans contain more folate, a crucial nutrient that acts as a coenzyme in various essential body processes, including DNA synthesis, methylation reactions, and cell division. It is absorbed in the intestines, circulated in the body, and modified to become a functional molecule. Adequate folate intake may lower the risk of chronic diseases like cognitive dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Maternal folate status is essential for preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in offspring (6).

Cancer

The results showed that soybean, black bean, and green bean mixture (BN999) has the potential as a cancer prevention or treatment agent. It may reduce the growth of prostate adenocarcinoma cells and breast cancer cells without affecting normal cells and induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells through multiple pathways, including receptor-, mitochondria-, and endoplasmic reticulum-mediated pathways. Furthermore, BN999 may inhibit the growth of colon cancer xenografts in mice without causing side effects (7).

The presence of flavonoids, mainly in the yardlong beans, contributes to high antioxidant and anticancer activity. The bioactivity of phenolic compounds (PC), including catechins, can protect DNA and inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Catechins, for example, can affect capillary permeability and interact with the body as beneficial compounds or antinutrients (8).