How do purple string beans differ nutritionally from standard green beans overall?
They concentrate color-specific antioxidants like anthocyanins
While both green and purple string beans share a similar foundational set of micronutrients and are excellent sources of dietary fiber, the distinguishing factor in the purple variety lies in its color compounds. Consumers selecting the purple type are specifically choosing a version that concentrates anthocyanins. These anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that provide specialized benefits, particularly linked to cardiovascular and cognitive support, that are not present in the same concentration, if at all, in their green counterparts. The base nutritional themes remain consistent across the *Phaseolus vulgaris* family, but the purple variety offers this added layer of pigment-derived antioxidants.
