Yes! Another hummus recipe. I know that there are so many good recipes out there, but I just had to create one of my own. It’s a bit lighter as there is no added olive oil often found in hummus recipes. Even without the added fat, it’s still creamy and delicious. Tahini has its own oil from the sesame seeds, which to me is sufficient. I hope you agree.

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can white beans: great northern or navy
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons tahini
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove fresh garlic (about 1 teaspoon chopped)
½ teaspoon salt
⅛–¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Put all ingredients into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth and creamy. Serve with your favorite breads, crackers or veggies. Serves 4–6.

Health Benefits of White Beans

White beans, also known as white navy beans, offer extraordinary health benefits. They are loaded with antioxidants and provide a good supply of detoxifying molybdenum. They are also a good source of fiber and protein and rank low on the glycemic index. They produce alpha-amylase inhibitors which help regulate fat storage in the body. What’s more, white beans deliver a good supply of magnesium, a mineral with multiple health benefits.

White beans have detoxifying properties: White beans are one of the most concentrated food sources of molybdenum. Despite being discovered already in 1778, molybdenum is a relatively unknown trace mineral. Nevertheless, it is extremely important for good health. Molybdenum is required to make and activate a number of detoxifying enzymes, including aldehyde oxidase and sulfite oxidase.

Beans rank low on the glycemic index: Rich in slow-digesting carbohydrates, protein and fiber, beans — including white beans — are considered a low GI food. Foods with a low GI value — such as white beans — do not trigger spikes in blood sugar levels. Low GI foods are also thought to help lower your risk of developing heart disease and adult-onset diabetes.

White beans fight against storage of energy as body fat: White beans and other foods with a low glycemic score also offer extraordinary weight loss benefits. When the carbohydrates in our food cause our blood sugar levels to rise, a polypeptide hormone called insulin is produced by the pancreas (a large gland organ located behind the stomach). Low GI foods like beans have the opposite effect. In addition to their gentle effect on blood sugar levels, white beans may provide weight loss benefits due their ability to produce alpha-amylase inhibitors. Alpha-amylase inhibitors are known to slow the absorption of carbohydrates (and thus the storage of energy as body fat) by inhibiting enzymes responsible for cutting starches into simpler sugars.

Antioxidants in white kidney beans promote good health and wrinkle-free skin: White beans deliver a hefty supply of antioxidants, substances that fight off disease and help maintain optimum health. Antioxidants are believed to protect the cells in your body from free radicals, unstable molecules that damage cells.

White beans offer a truckload of magnesium: White beans offer a generous quantity of magnesium. Magnesium is an important macromineral that performs a number of key functions in the body. Most of us have heard that before, but few of us are aware of the exact health benefits magnesium offers, so here’s a summary: Magnesium maintains the electrical potential across nerve and muscle membranes, and it helps you handle stress better. It is also necessary for healthy bones.

A diet rich in beans and other magnesium containing foods is particularly important to those who are at an increased risk of magnesium deficiency. Risk factors that increase the likelihood of magnesium deficiency include diarrhea, celiac disease and other gastrointestinal problems, high alcohol consumption, and diabetes mellitus.