Soybeans are also a good source of phytosterols, chemical relatives of cholesterol that also interfere with our absorption of cholesterol and thus lower blood cholesterol levels The Problem of Legumes and Flatulence Several chemical constituents of beans are responsible for an uncomfortable, sometimes embarrassing consequence of eating legumes: the generation of gas in the digestive system The Cause: Indigestible Carbohydrates Everyone produces a mixture of gases from their intestine, about a quart a day, thanks to the growth and metabolism of our resident bacteria Many legumes, especially soy, navy, and lima beans, cause a sudden increase in bacterial activity and gas production a few hours after they’re consumed This is because they contain large amounts of carbohydrates that human digestive enzymes can’t convert into absorbable sugars These carbohydrates therefore leave the upper intestine unchanged and enter the lower reaches, where our resident bacterial population does the job we are unable to do One kind of troublesome carbohydrate is the oligosaccharides, molecules consisting of three, four, and five sugar molecules linked together in an unusual way But the latest research suggests that the oligosaccharides are not the primary source of gas The cell-wall cements generate just as much carbon dioxide and hydrogen as the oligosaccharides — and beans generally contain about twice as much of these carbohydrates as they do oligosaccharides The Cures: Soaking, Long Cooking A commonly used method for reducing the gassiness of beans is to boil them briefly in ... beans generally contain about twice as much of these carbohydrates as they do oligosaccharides The Cures: Soaking, Long Cooking A commonly used method for reducing the gassiness of beans is to boil them... bacterial population does the job we are unable to do One kind of troublesome carbohydrate is the oligosaccharides, molecules consisting of three, four, and five sugar molecules linked together in an unusual way... But the latest research suggests that the oligosaccharides are not the primary source of gas The cell-wall cements generate just as much carbon dioxide and hydrogen as the oligosaccharides — and