Protein is trending everywhere, and like many, we found ourselves looking for ways to add more of it into our diet. A podcaster we follow praised lupini beans as a powerhouse, packed with protein and fiber, a great vegetarian option.

What they didn’t mention? How dangerous these beans can be if not prepared the right way.

First Encounter with Lupini Beans

In my household, we’re always experimenting with healthy ingredients. Being Indian, we know our way around dry beans and didn’t read the cooking instructions. So when the Amazon delivery of lupini beans arrived, we thought, no problem.

We soaked them for four hours, pressure-cooked them, and added them to a fresh tomato basil soup.

One sip later… yikes. Bitter.

Curious, we asked ChatGPT about it. That’s when we discovered the shocker: lupini beans require a five-day prep process to wash out the alkaloids, the very compounds behind the intense bitterness.

The Decision to Push Through

But I shrugged it off. Bitterness didn’t scare me, I eat bitter gourd (karela) every week. I didn’t want to waste food, so I told myself, I’ll eat it anyway.

The soup went into the fridge, and on a beautiful Saturday evening, I finished off a full bowl of those beans before bed. Extremely bitter, yes, but I wanted to show my daughter how “strong” I was( how unnecessary?)

The Night Everything Went Wrong

At midnight, I woke up bloated, so bloated I couldn’t even feel my stomach properly, let alone urinate.

I urgently tried heading back to bed, but it was too late. Dizziness took over. Everything went dark.

The next thing I remember was hearing my husband’s panicked voice. He had heard strange noises from the bathroom, followed by silence. When he opened the door, he found me unconscious on the floor.

I managed to get back to bed, but my mouth was dry. No matter how much water I drank, the dryness wouldn’t go away. My stomach was tight. My head light. We debated: call 911, drive to the ER, or wait it out?

The Diagnosis

Again, I turned to ChatGPT. The verdict: lupini bean poisoning.

The alkaloids in lupini beans attack the parasympathetic nervous system — dropping blood pressure, causing dehydration, dry mouth, and dizziness. The severity depends on how much you eat.

I had eaten a lot.

A Life-Changing Lesson

We ended up in the ER. One IV saline drip and a few hours of rest stabilized me.

What shocked me most was this: neither the ER doctor nor my primary care physician had ever heard of lupini bean poisoning. They dismissed it quickly. Their advice was simple , “hydrate aggressively.”

But for me, it was a wake-up call. From feeling strong and invincible to fainting on the bathroom floor, this was a life-changing event.

Moving Forward

It’s been a few weeks now. I’m learning to listen to my body, recognizing the signs of low blood pressure or dropping glucose, and managing them better.

I can’t wait to get back to my usual routine, but I had to share this story. I feel vulnerable to share, but spreading it for awareness. 
Because sometimes, the “superfood” everyone is raving about online comes with a warning label that no one bothers to mention.