Lima Bean

0 foods contain this ingredient

Vegetable Legumes allergen group

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About Lima Bean

Lima beans are a starchy legume added to some dog and cat foods to supply plant carbohydrate, fiber, and moderate protein.

Lima beans are used in pet foods as a plant-based source of carbohydrates, fiber and some protein, often serving as a binder or filler while supplying micronutrients like folate, potassium and iron. They can provide fermentable fiber that supports gut health in dogs, but are a lower-quality protein for obligate carnivores like cats (which need animal-based amino acids such as taurine), and must be fully cooked/processed to deactivate natural compounds (e.g., lectins and cyanogenic glycosides) and reduce gas-producing oligosaccharides; pets with specific protein, weight or metabolic concerns may need limited legume content.

Related ingredients

Bean

Derived from: Phaseolus lunatus (also called butter bean or sugar bean) seeds
Primary role: carbohydrate and fiber filler, secondary plant protein

Why it's used

Lima beans are inexpensive relative to animal protein and bring along fiber plus micronutrients like folate and potassium, which helps formulators hit a recipe's carbohydrate and binder needs. Their fermentable fiber fraction is also of interest for supporting stool quality and gut microbial activity in dogs.

Common concerns

Legume proportion and heart health research The FDA's 2018 to 2019 review of reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy found that most of the implicated diets were labeled grain-free and contained peas and/or lentils in high proportion, and legumes more broadly (including bean varieties like lima beans) were named as an ingredient category of interest, though the agency also stressed that legumes have a long history of use and a causal mechanism was not established.
Raw or undercooked preparation Lima beans contain cyanogenic glucosides (linamarin and lotaustralin) and lectins that require thorough cooking to break down, which is why they always appear as a cooked ingredient in commercial pet food rather than raw.
Gas-producing oligosaccharides Like other legumes, lima beans contain oligosaccharides that some animals cannot fully digest, which can lead to flatulence or loose stool in individual dogs.

Also relevant

Dried beans generally appear on pet food labels by their specific type, so the legume used can usually be identified on the ingredient list.

2 sources cited

Common Questions

What category is Lima Bean?

Lima Bean is categorized as a vegetable ingredient in the KibbleLab database.

Is Lima Bean part of an allergen group?

Yes. Lima Bean is grouped under the Legumes allergen group in the KibbleLab database.

Which foods contain Lima Bean?

0 foods in the KibbleLab database contain Lima Bean.

Foods with Lima Bean

Alphabetical by brand. Scores run 0 to 10, higher is better, on published veterinary science.

No foods in the KibbleLab database contain Lima Bean right now.

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