Are black beans good for you? Their reputation isn't the best, often depicted as causing gas and an ingredient used in cheaper foods. Those preconceived notions are not entirely correct. For starters, black beans are one of the easiest beans to digest and therefore, generally produce less gas than many other varieties. Yes they are often used in cheaper foods, especially Mexican tacos and burritos, but the truth is that they deserve to be used in all cuisine, whether it's fancy or fast food. This is because of how much antioxidants they have, which is more than most foods. In fact if you are eating a burrito, chances are that these black beans are providing you more antioxidants than any other ingredient, except for perhaps any fresh cilantro and peppers.
ORAC Source
USDA Database for the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods, Release 2 - Prepared by Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - May 2010