ONU HealthWise

Full of beans: Carbohydrates and healthy aging

Editor’s Note: The following article was written by Alyson Pickryl, student pharmacist and Karen Kier, pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

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During the mid-19th century around the 1840s, the idiom full of beans was noted. The idiom referred to a high energy state of horses after they were fed beans. This was a common practice to feed horses beans in Europe and the United Kingdom to add stamina to the diet of working horses. The idiom was then used to describe people with a lot of energy. During the 20th century, the term in the United States evolved to describe someone who was talking nonsense or lying.  They were just full of beans!

Beans are a natural source of dietary carbohydrates and recent research in nutrition has evaluated whether certain carbohydrates can make a difference in the aging process.  More research is being done to evaluate chronologic age (years since birth—our birthday age) versus biologic age, which relates to the aging of cells and tissues in our bodies as they are exposed to our lifestyle and genetic factors. Scientists are trying to find ways to slow the aging process such that our biologic age (cells and tissues) is less than our chronologic age. The forever young philosophy!

A study published in 2025 in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open examined the potential for diet to influence aging in women.

Nutrition plays an important role in women’s health, particularly as we age. One of the body’s primary sources of energy is dietary carbohydrates. However, the quality of carbohydrates consumed can significantly influence long-term health outcomes.

Carbohydrates are generally categorized as either high-quality (complex) carbohydrates or refined carbohydrates. High-quality carbohydrates include foods such as whole grains, legumes (seeds and beans), fruits, and vegetables. High-quality carbohydrates are known as complex carbohydrates because they release their sugar source slowly providing sustained energy with less sugar spikes in the blood after eating. These foods provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients supporting overall health.

In contrast, refined carbohydrates (simple sugars), often found in refined grains, sugary foods, and processed snacks, tend to contain fewer nutrients and can contribute to chronic disease risk when consumed in excess. These refined carbohydrates release rapidly into the blood and cause spikes in blood sugar with potential energy crashes.

The large study from 2025 followed 47,513 women from 1984 to 2016 to examine the relationship between carbohydrate intake and healthy aging. In this study, healthy aging was defined as surviving to at least age 70 while remaining free from 11 major chronic diseases, maintaining good mental health, and having no significant impairments in memory or physical function.

Researchers found that women who consumed more high-quality carbohydrates and fiber from foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains had higher odds of healthy aging. In contrast, diets higher in refined carbohydrates were associated with lower odds of healthy aging. This study showed that women consuming fiber and high-quality carbohydrates had a positive impact on their overall quality of life and less risk of developing chronic diseases including heart disease, type II diabetes, and certain cancers.

High-quality carbohydrate sources such as oats, brown rice, beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, and fruits can be incorporated into daily meals. The recommendation would be to avoid highly processed foods containing simple or refined carbohydrates. Small dietary changes, such as choosing whole grains and increasing fiber intake, may help support healthier aging. Diet is very important for women as they age, as it can help delay chronic diseases, premature death, and physical frailty.

Maybe the idiom full of beans will now take on a new meaning related to healthy aging!