For years, people have sought a way to enjoy beans without the inevitable gas. This article details a scientific exploration into reducing bean-induced flatulence, conducted in collaboration with Harvard scientists. The goal was simple: determine whether traditional remedies, or even a direct enzymatic solution, could make beans less…musical.
The Problem: Why Beans Make You Fart
The culprit behind bean-related gas lies in complex sugars called FODMAPs, specifically oligosaccharides like raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose. Human digestive systems can’t break these down, but gut bacteria thrive on them. This bacterial fermentation produces gas as a byproduct. Reducing the amount of these sugars should, in theory, reduce the gas. This study focused on stachyose, the most abundant offender in the tested pinto beans.
The Testing: A Rigorous Approach
To test common gas-reduction methods, a team at Harvard—led by Professors Pia Sörensen and Dave Weitz—recruited a “Harvard Fart Squad” of students to put their digestive systems on the line. Fifty-one bean samples were tested, measuring 17 variables with triplicate accuracy. The process involved advanced lab techniques: centrifuges, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and freeze-drying.
What Doesn’t Work: Debunking Myths
Despite widespread advice, many traditional methods prove ineffective. Soaking beans for up to 24 hours, discarding the soaking water, or using bay leaves or kombu during cooking showed no significant reduction in gas production. Surprisingly, beans cooked with bay leaves actually had the highest fart potential. The study suggests this is due to the bay leaves preserving gas rather than dispelling it, but further testing is needed.
Canned vs. Dried: A Marginal Difference
Canned beans showed a slight edge—about 20% less gas than those cooked from scratch. However, the study notes that this could be due to bean sourcing rather than the canning process itself. Goya beans (used in the test) may naturally contain less gas-inducing sugars than those from other suppliers.
Rinsing Canned Beans: A Clear Winner
Rinsing canned beans reduces gas by over 20%. The liquid in canned beans contains a higher concentration of gas-producing compounds than the beans themselves. However, rinsing sacrifices flavor, as the discarded liquid contains dissolved solids that enhance taste.
The Beano Solution: A Qualified Success
Beano, containing the enzyme alpha-galactosidase, is proven to break down those sugars. Adding Beano to pureed beans resulted in a 2.5x reduction in fart potential compared to canned beans and nearly 3x less than beans cooked from scratch.
However, the effect on whole beans was less pronounced. The study found that Beano primarily de-farts the liquid when added to whole beans, and the enzyme must be used at the right temperature.
The Verdict
The study concludes that traditional cooking methods don’t significantly reduce bean gas. Canned beans have a slight advantage, but rinsing them sacrifices flavor. Beano, when used properly (especially with pureed beans), can substantially reduce flatulence.
The key takeaway? If you want truly fart-free beans, enzymatic intervention is the most reliable approach. While folklore and anecdotal remedies persist, science offers a more definitive solution.
