Types of kidney beans

[castanea]

I'm trying to compile a list of Phaseolus vulgaris bean types or bean varieties that share the high Phytohaemagglutinin content of kidneys so that I can avoid them. Even when properly cooked, I usually have problems with kidney beans. So far, this is what I have that are high Phytohaemagglutinin types:

Kidney beans
Italian Cannellini beans
Louisiana red beans
Spanish caparrones

Does anyone know of others?

Thanks

[12540dumont]

Phytohaemagglutinin, is found in all species of beans, but it is in highest concentration in red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). The unit of toxin measure is the hemagglutinating unit (hau). Raw kidney beans contain from 20,000 to 70,000 hau, while fully cooked beans contain from 200 to 400 hau. White kidney beans, another variety of Phaseolus vulgaris, contain about one-third the amount of toxin as the red variety; broad beans (Vicia faba) contain 5 to 10% the amount that red kidney beans contain.

I read somewhere that navy beans, soy beans and even lentils have this. But you know me, I'm always reading about beans.

The syndrome is usually caused by the ingestion of raw, soaked kidney beans, either alone or in salads or casseroles. As few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms. Several outbreaks have been associated with "slow cookers" or crock pots, or in casseroles which had not reached a high enough internal temperature to destroy the glycoprotein lectin. It has been shown that heating to 80°C may potentiate the toxicity five-fold, so that these beans are more toxic than if eaten raw. In studies of casseroles cooked in slow cookers, internal temperatures often did not exceed 75°C.

This is something I put on my CSA blog every year when I give out beans. It's really hard to find this information, because there's no list of all beans with their associated Phytohaemagglutinin content.

I wonder if you could get such a list from the USDA?

www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/lectins.html interesting reading, but no listing of beans in their order of phyto content. Cornell is good at answering questions like this though.

Let me know what you find out. I'm always interested in beans

[castanea]

I did quite bit of research before I posted it but everywhere you find the same basic info - all beans have it but kidneys are the worst.

[DarJones]

This is posted in other forums but seems apropos here.

www.css.msu.edu/Bean/_pdf/Story_of_Bean_Breeding_in_the_US.pdf

DarJones

[oxbowfarm]

It would be interesting to see if there was a correlation of Phytohaemagglutinin levels and whether the beans are Andean or Meso-American. I'm pretty sure that kidney and Cannellini are both Andean per the links in the Breeding Beans thread.

[jim]

Kidneys are Andean, and belong to race Nueva Granada....cannellini are Andean as well..., not sure about race...maybe Chile?
Jim