Welcome to BeanCAP
Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are consumed by humans more than any other legume crop. The health benefits from eating beans are numerous and include reducing the cholesterol and sugar levels in blood which prevent or alleviate certain types of cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Diets rich in zinc and iron, two micronutrients abundant in bean, can delay the onset of AIDS and as such, HIV positive patients are encouraged to include beans in their diets. Recently research has shown that beans significantly reduce the onset of breast cancer colon cancer, and biomarkers for heart disease risk.
In the US, multiple dry bean market classes are grown and sold throughout the world. These include pinto, navy, great northern, black, kidney, and snap beans. The Common Bean Coordinated Agricultural Project (BeanCAP) will strengthen the bean research, education, and extension communities by focusing on the genetics and genomics aspects of nutrition in this important food crop.
