Name: 小小豆子，大大影響：它如何改善我們的未來？ (How the humble bean can help the world | BBC Ideas)
Uploaded: 2025-07-22T18:38:37.000Z
Duration: 4 min 36 s

Humanity is facing a multitude of existential threats.

From climate change to malnutrition to the rising cost of living, it feels like we need a hero.

從氣候變化到營養不良，再到生活成本上升，我們感覺自己需要一位英雄。

Sometimes they can be found in the unlikeliest of places, like on your toast in the morning.

有時，它們會出現在最不可能的地方，比如早晨的吐司上。

Could the answer to the world's problems be the humble bean?

世界問題的答案會是不起眼的豆子嗎？

Beans are a dietary staple of nearly every culture across the globe, and for good reason.

豆類是全球幾乎所有文化的主食，這是有道理的。

Not to toot their own horn, but boasting around 40,000 different varieties, beans are highly versatile, nutritious, cheap, and great for the environment.

豆類品種繁多，營養豐富，價格低廉，而且對環境有益。

Part of the legume family, botanically, beans are a vegetable and come in many different shapes and sizes, from fresh beans and peas to dried seeds like lentils and chickpeas.

從植物學上講，豆類屬於豆科植物，是一種蔬菜，有許多不同的形狀和大小，從新鮮的豆子和豌豆到扁豆和鷹嘴豆等幹種子。

If you're confused whether you should treat them as a veg or a protein on your plate, the answer is they can be either or both.

如果你不知道應該把它們當作蔬菜還是蛋白質，答案是它們既可以是蔬菜，也可以是蛋白質。

For example, fresh peas and green beans are considered starchy vegetables, while the high protein content of kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas means they tick the boxes of both food groups.

例如，新鮮豌豆和青豆被認為是澱粉類蔬菜，而芸豆、黑豆和鷹嘴豆的蛋白質含量很高，這意味著它們同時符合這兩類食物的標準。

In a world where 2.5 billion people are either overweight, obese, or malnourished, beans are a nutritional all-rounder.

世界上有 25 億人超重、肥胖或營養不良，而豆類是營養的多面手。

Not only are they an inexpensive substitute for animal products, but they're both low-fat and nutrient-rich, high in protein, iron, zinc, and fiber.

它們不僅是動物產品的廉價替代品，而且脂肪含量低，營養豐富，富含蛋白質、鐵、鋅和纖維。

They contain indigestible carbohydrates that feed the bacteria in the large bowel, making them great for our guts.

它們含有不易消化的碳水化合物，能滋養大腸中的細菌，所以對我們的腸道非常有益。

While all beans contain a mix of essential amino acids, soybeans have the best ratios for our health.

雖然所有豆類都含有多種人體必需的氨基酸，但大豆中的氨基酸比例對人體健康最為有利。

Other beans don't have that balance, but around the world, people have traditionally paired them with foods that make the meal nutritionally complete.

其他豆類不具備這種平衡性，但在世界各地，人們歷來將豆類與食物搭配，使膳食營養全面。

Think beans on toast, bean burritos, rice and peas, dal and chapatis.

想想烤麵包上的豆子、豆捲餅、米飯和豌豆、豆類和小扁豆。

有了豆子，一切都變得更美好。

While beans are well-known for their role in, to put it delicately, releasing gases, they can also do the opposite.

雖然豆類因其釋放氣體的作用而聞名，但說得難聽點，它們也能起到相反的作用。

Beans play a unique and important role in crucial ecosystems like forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

豆類在森林、草原和溼地等重要生態系統中發揮著獨特而重要的作用。

The bacteria in their roots take in nitrogen from the atmosphere and store it in the soil.

它們根部的細菌從大氣中吸收氮，並將其儲存在土壤中。

This process, known as nitrogen fixing, not only provides nutrients for trees and other plants, but acts as a natural fertilizer in agriculture, greatly reducing the need for synthetic ones and lowering chemical pollution.

這種被稱為固氮的過程不僅能為樹木和其他植物提供養分，還能充當農業中的天然肥料，大大減少對合成肥料的需求，降低化學汙染。

In a world of ever-increasing temperatures, beans are survivors, able to grow in a wide range of climates, from the broad beans of the UK to the azuki of the Himalayas.

在氣溫不斷升高的世界裡，豆類是倖存者，能夠在各種氣候條件下生長，從英國的蠶豆到喜馬拉雅山上的azuki。

They're hardy, on average requiring less water in their production than rice, wheat, or animal products.

它們很耐寒，在生產過程中平均比大米、小麥或動物產品需要更少的水。

And given that global water demand is likely to increase by more than 40% by 2030, this is quite a superpower.

考慮到到 2030 年全球用水需求量可能會增加 40% 以上，這是一個相當大的超級大國。

Researchers once worried that the isoflavones found in soy could cause health issues by mimicking the hormone estrogen.

研究人員曾一度擔心，大豆中的異黃酮會模仿荷爾蒙雌激素，從而引發健康問題。

But thankfully, more recent studies have found no evidence of this.

但值得慶幸的是，最近的研究沒有發現這方面的證據。

In fact, modern research suggests that soy could even lower cancer risk and help maintain healthy hearts.

事實上，現代研究表明，大豆甚至可以降低癌症風險，並有助於保持心臟健康。

Another concern is that growing soya beans leads to deforestation in places like the Amazon.

另一個令人擔憂的問題是，種植大豆會導致亞馬遜等地的森林砍伐。

But in fact, nearly 80% of soy produced in the region is used to feed the animals that feed us.

但事實上，該地區生產的大豆有近 80% 是用來餵養我們的動物的。

If we ate less meat and more soy, we would need to use a lot less land, which would mean less pressure to convert forests and natural habitats for growing food.

如果我們少吃肉類，多吃大豆，我們需要使用的土地就會減少很多，這意味著為種植糧食而改變森林和自然棲息地的壓力也會減少。

Like everything in life, beans aren't perfect.

就像生活中的一切一樣，豆子也不是完美無缺的。

For those who haven't had beans consistently in their diet, they may need to introduce them slowly to get used to their bulk and high fiber content.

對於那些沒有在飲食中持續攝入豆類的人來說，他們可能需要慢慢引入豆類，以適應豆類的體積和高纖維含量。

Some people find that conditions like irritable bowel syndrome can be exacerbated by some beans, though soaking and cooking the beans thoroughly may help.

有些人發現某些豆類可能會加劇腸躁症等症狀，但徹底浸泡和煮熟豆類可能會有所幫助。

Kidney and cannellini beans contain high levels of lectin, a protein that makes them toxic, so they definitely need to be cooked properly to avoid food poisoning if bought dried or raw.

芸豆和白豆含有高濃度的凝集素，這是一種使其具有毒性的蛋白質，因此如果購買乾豆或生豆，請務必適當煮熟，以免食物中毒。

On balance, though, whilst beans can't be expected to fix all the ills of the world, given their incredible abundance, nutritional value, environmental benefits,  and the myriad delicious ways they can be eaten,

總的來說，雖然不能指望豆類解決世界上的所有弊病，但考慮到豆類的豐富程度、營養價值、環境效益以及無數種美味的食用方法，

豆類的未來看起來絕對是美好的。

If you enjoyed that, be sure to check out these videos next.

如果你喜歡，請務必查看接下來的影片。

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如果你還沒有訂閱，請點擊訂閱按鈕，然後開啟小鈴噹，這樣我們每次上傳新以片時你都會收到通知。