Beans, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas and soybeans belong to the legume family, so what are its most prominent nutritional advantages?

What are its benefits to the environment?

Why is it recommended to squeeze lemons on lentils?

And why is it better to eat beans with rice?

The answers are in this comprehensive report.

What are pulses?

It is a type of crop that is harvested only for its dry seeds.

Dried beans, lentils and peas are the most known and consumed types of legumes, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

 What are the advantages of pulses?

  • Pulses are naturally low in fat and free of cholesterol, which can contribute to the reduction of cardiovascular disease, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

  • Pulses are also low in sodium.

    Sodium chloride - or table salt - contributes to high blood pressure, which can be avoided by eating foods that contain low levels of sodium, such as beans.

  • Pulses are rich in vegetable protein. For example, 100 grams of fresh lentils contain 25 grams of protein.

    During cooking, pulses absorb large amounts of water and thus the protein content of cooked lentils is reduced to about 8%.

    But you can increase the protein quality of cooked legumes by combining them with cereals in the meal, lentils or beans with rice, for example.

    Legumes and foods made from them, such as tofu, are among the most abundant sources of vegetable protein in the world. For example, protein constitutes between 6 to 11% of the weight of cooked beans.

  • Pulses are a good source of iron, which is recommended - to improve its absorption - to combine legumes with foods that contain vitamin C, such as lemon juice on lentil soup.

  • Pulses are high in potassium, which supports heart function and plays an important role in digestion and muscle function.

  • Pulses are rich in dietary fiber that is necessary to support a healthy digestive system and to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

  • Pulses are one of the best sources of folate, which is one of the B vitamins that are naturally found in many foods.

  • Pulses have a low glycemic index, which helps to stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, making them suitable for people with diabetes and those who want to monitor their weight.

    It has been scientifically proven that the starches in legumes significantly improve the stability of blood sugar levels, according to Deutsche Welle, on the Workman website.

  • Pulses are gluten-free by nature, which makes them an ideal choice for people with celiac disease.

The notoriety with legumes for causing gas is due to a group of complex sugars called oligosaccharides that our digestive enzymes cannot break down.

Therefore, intestinal bacteria ferment these sugars during digestion, producing gas.

Fortunately, the production of gases can be controlled by the method and duration of cooking the legumes, as well as some additional ingredients that can be used with them during cooking.

 What are the benefits of legumes for the environment?

Legumes are the only plants that enrich the soil instead of robbing it of its nutrients during its growth, because the roots of legumes contain nodules that secrete nitrogen in the soil and contribute to its enrichment.

The nitrogen-fixing properties of legumes improve soil fertility, and this leads to increased and improved agricultural land productivity.

and by using legumes in intercropping and cover crops;

Farmers can also enhance farm biodiversity and soil biodiversity and prevent harmful pests and diseases, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The organization adds that legumes can contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers that are used to artificially add nitrogen to the soil.

Legumes naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and in some cases release soil-bound phosphorous, thus greatly reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.


Interesting facts about pulses

  •  Legumes were so prominent in the Roman Empire that important families in the empire took them as their names, such as “Lentulus” (from lentils), “Piso” (from beans), and “Cicero” ) (derived from chickpeas) and “Fabius” (derived from beans).

  •  India, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Nepal, the United States, Bangladesh and China are among the world's largest producers of lentils.

  • In 1907, Knut Nelson, a US congressman from Minnesota, introduced a resolution requiring Congress to serve bean soup every day for as long as Congress is in session and regardless of the weather.