Navy bean

Navy beans being served at the Navy Memorial (2007)

The name "Navy bean" is an American term coined because the US Navy has served the beans as a staple to its sailors since the mid-1800s.[8]

In Australia, navy bean production began during World War II when it became necessary to find an economical way of supplying a nutritious food to the many troops—especially American troops—based in Queensland. The United States military maintained a large base in Kingaroy and had many bases and camps throughout south-east Queensland. It actively encouraged the widespread planting of the beans.[9] Kingaroy is known as the Baked Bean Capital of Australia.[10] Another popular name for the bean during this time was "the Yankee bean".[11]

Navy bean cultivars include:

• "Rainy River"[12]
• "Robust", resistant to the bean common mosaic virus (BCMV),[13] which is transmitted through seeds[12]
• Michelite, descended from 'Robust', but with higher yields and better seed quality[12]
• Sanilac, the first bush navy bean cultivar[12]

Other varieties of white beans include:

• Cannellini (or fazolia[2]) are a white kidney bean that is popular in central and southern Italy, but first developed in Argentina.[2] They are larger than navy beans and closely related to the red kidney bean They are used in minestrone soups.[2]
• Lima beans, also known as Butter Beans.
• Great northern, also called "large white" beans, are larger than navy beans as well, but smaller than cannellini beans. They have a flattened shape similar to lima beans and a delicate flavor.
• The runner bean, Phaseolus coccineus, is a large white bean known in Greece as gígantes (Greek: γίγαντες, "giants") and eléfantes (ελέφαντες, "elephants").
• The marrow bean, a medium to large white bean with a bacon-like flavor, which was popular for baked beans in the U.S. in the 19th and early 20th centuries.[14]

White beans are the most abundant plant-based source of phosphatidylserine (PS) yet known.[15] It contains notably high levels of apigenin, 452±192 μg/kg, which vary widely among legumes.[16]

Consumption of baked beans has been shown to lower total cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.[17][18] This might be at least partly explained by the high saponin content of navy beans. Saponins also exhibit antibacterial and anti-fungal activity, and have been found to inhibit cancer cell growth.[19] Furthermore, navy beans are the richest source of ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid among the common bean varieties.[20]

Dried and canned beans stay fresh longer by storing them in a pantry or other cool, dark place under 75 °F (24 °C). With normal seed storage, seeds should last from one to four years for replanting, with a very large timetable for cooking for well-kept seeds, nearing on indefinite. Avoid beans that are discolored from the pure white color of these beans, as they may have been poorly handled while they dried.[21]