Re: String Beans for Sulcata

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Posted by A. C. Highfield on August 04, 2000 at 00:57:28:

In Reply to: Re: String Beans for Sulcata posted by KATHY on August 03, 2000 at 17:40:01:

: I'm tired now! I'm not looking for info on oxalates now; gonna trust you on this one!
: I do see though (on the same chart I referenced on the above post) that collards have a much better calcium to phosphorous ratio (3:1). So they would be a good food source as a 'meal,' although the protein is listed as 32.7%. Whereas, green beans (with their ratio of 1.3:1) would not be a good choice unless offered with a food higher than a 2:1 ratio to offset the calcium 'deficiency' in the green beans. Gosh, my head is spinning!
: Kathy
: Arizona

The problem with these comparisons is that they are being coducted on a different basis, e.g., fresh/wet vs. DM (Dry Matter). This is highly, highly misleading. So - no, collard greens are not higher in protein content than snap beans.

Finally, Ca:P ratios cited are also pretty misleading, as they reflect absolute content and not available content. In this respect, both collard greens AND snap beans are pretty poor, due to presence of secondary compounds such as oxalates and phytates. Used on an intermittent basis, I am sure neither would do much harm, but I would be wary of either as a staple. Do not rely 100% of the USDA databases, either - the figures reflect averages only, and fluctuations from average of up to 800% in some cases/compounds are quite common!

Tortoise Trust

Follow Ups:

Re: Andy, is there an accurate table of Ca:P that you are aware of?..n/p Giovanni 08/04/00 (3)
- CRC handbook of Chemistry and Physics, CRC Press. n/p EJ 08/05/00 (2)
  - Re:Mille grazie, EJ. n/p Giovanni 08/06/00 (1)
    - Il suo benvenuto. Nessuno problema. n/p EJ 08/06/00 (0)

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: : : I'm tired now! I'm not looking for info on oxalates now; gonna trust you on this one! : : I do see though (on the same chart I referenced on the above post) that collards have a much better calcium to phosphorous ratio (3:1). So they would be a good food source as a 'meal,' although the protein is listed as 32.7%. Whereas, green beans (with their ratio of 1.3:1) would not be a good choice unless offered with a food higher than a 2:1 ratio to offset the calcium 'deficiency' in the green beans. Gosh, my head is spinning! : : Kathy : : Arizona : The problem with these comparisons is that they are being coducted on a different basis, e.g., fresh/wet vs. DM (Dry Matter). This is highly, highly misleading. So - no, collard greens are not higher in protein content than snap beans. : Finally, Ca:P ratios cited are also pretty misleading, as they reflect absolute content and not available content. In this respect, both collard greens AND snap beans are pretty poor, due to presence of secondary compounds such as oxalates and phytates. Used on an intermittent basis, I am sure neither would do much harm, but I would be wary of either as a staple. Do not rely 100% of the USDA databases, either - the figures reflect averages only, and fluctuations from average of up to 800% in some cases/compounds are quite common!

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