Vicia faba (Fava Bean)

Per 100 g mature seeds (raw, dried): Protein: 26–28 g (rich in lysine at ~1.7 g, relatively low in methionine/cysteine at ~0.5 g combined, complementary with cereals); Carbohydrates: 55–58 g (including ~25 g dietary fiber, of which ~7 g soluble); Fat: 1.5–2.0 g (predominantly linoleic and oleic acids); Starch: ~40 g with moderate resistant starch content (~4–6 g) depending on processing. Key minerals: Iron 6.7–7.0 mg (non-heme; bioavailability ~5–8%, enhanced by vitamin C co-consumption), Magnesium 190–210 mg, Potassium 1060–1100 mg, Phosphorus 420–440 mg, Zinc 3.1–3.5 mg, Manganese 1.6–1.8 mg, Calcium 100–115 mg, Copper 0.8–1.0 mg. Vitamins: Folate (B9) 423–490 µg (one of the highest among legumes; ~50–60% bioavailability from cooked form), Thiamine (B1) 0.55 mg, Riboflavin (B2) 0.33 mg, Niacin (B3) 2.8 mg, Vitamin B6 0.37 mg, Vitamin C 1.4 mg (raw; largely destroyed by cooking), Vitamin K ~9 µg. Bioactive compounds: L-DOPA (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) is the signature compound — concentrations vary by tissue: pod valves ~28.65 mg/g dw, immature seeds ~5–10 mg/g dw, mature dry seeds ~0.5–2.0 mg/g dw, young sprouts up to 50–60 mg/g dw; L-DOPA is a direct dopamine precursor with high oral bioavailability (~65–70%, comparable to pharmaceutical levodopa, improved with carbidopa or green tea catechins). Vicine (7–14 mg/g dw) and convicine (3–6 mg/g dw) are pyrimidine glycosides that can trigger hemolytic anemia in G6PD-deficient individuals; low-vicine cultivars (e.g., 'Divine') contain <1 mg/g. Condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins): 5–8 mg/g in colored-flower varieties (primarily in seed coat), lower in white-flower varieties (~0.5–1.5 mg/g); these reduce protein and mineral bioavailability by 10–20% but exert antioxidant effects. Phenolic acids: gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid totaling ~3–6 mg/g dw. Flavonoids: kaempferol and quercetin glycosides at ~0.5–2.0 mg/g dw. Phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphate): 8–15 mg/g dw — chelates zinc, iron, and calcium (soaking/germination reduces by 30–50%, improving mineral bioavailability). Lectins (phytohemagglutinins): present but substantially inactivated by boiling ≥10 minutes. Saponins: ~2–4 mg/g dw with potential cholesterol-lowering activity. Protease inhibitors (trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors): reduced by 80–90% with adequate cooking. Total polyphenol content (Folin-Ciocalteu): ~15–30 mg GAE/g dw in whole seeds, with ORAC antioxidant capacity of ~15,000–20,000 µmol TE/100 g. Glycemic index of cooked fava beans is low-to-moderate (GI ~40–55), attributed to resistant starch and fiber content. Notable: fava beans are one of the few significant plant dietary sources of L-DOPA, making them uniquely relevant in dopaminergic nutrition; bioavailability of L-DOPA from fava bean matrix may be modulated by concurrent protein and amino acid content.