Beans and legumes are the nuts or seeds of the Fabaceae family of plants. They are high in fiber and vital vitamins and minerals and are consumed all around the world.
They’re also excellent vegetarian protein sources. Beans are one of my favorite ingredients to use in soups, tortillas, salads, and other dishes.
Beans and legumes have several health advantages. Consuming more of them may help lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, and boost good gut bacteria.
You can eat these as a main meal or a side dish, and they help to prevent serious illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, yet they are sometimes overlooked at our dinner table.
Why should legumes be a part of your diet?
Not only can eating beans help prevent high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and strokes, but they may also aid in the treatment of heart disease.
Eating at least one cup of legumes per day has been proven in studies to help people to lose weight, improve insulin, and lower blood pressure. People who ate beans every day had decreased cholesterol without taking medicine in some situations.
The quantity of antioxidants offered by beans is a surprise benefit. Antioxidants counteract disease-causing free radicals in the body. Antioxidants are abundant in many plants, with legumes being one of the finest sources.
Top healthiest legumes
Below are some of the healthier beans and legumes to consume, along with their health benefits.
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Peas
- Kidney beans
- Black beans
- Soybeans
- Pinto beans
Chickpeas
Beans and legumes, such as chickpeas, and hummus, which is predominantly prepared from chickpeas, have numerous scientific studies that show countless health benefits.
When compared to other high-carb foods, chickpeas are particularly useful for lowering post-meal blood sugar and enhancing insulin sensitivity.
A tiny study indicated that eating a low-sugar snack with hummus resulted in a 5% reduction in afternoon blood sugar levels when compared to eating high-sugar granola bars.
Hummus consumption was also connected to a decrease in hunger and dessert munching later in the day. Eating chickpeas and other legumes, which are strong in fibers and other plant components, may help alter gut flora composition.
Lentils
Lentils are one of the legumes with the highest iron content. Iron is a trace element necessary by your body to produce hemoglobin, a blood molecule that transports oxygen.
Including lentils in meals to enhance iron intake may be especially beneficial for vegans and vegetarians, who may be more susceptible to iron deficiency anemia.
Lentils, like chickpeas, can help lower blood sugar levels. When half of the carbs from rice or potatoes were substituted with carbs from cooked lentils after a meal, post-meal blood sugar levels were significantly lower than when rice or potatoes were eaten alone.
Finally, lentil sprouts may benefit heart health by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol while raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good”) cholesterol.
Peas
Peas’ high-quality protein, fibers, vitamins, and antioxidant properties help to support good gut bacteria and maintain healthy blood sugar levels, among other things.
Vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin important for optimal blood clotting and bone health, is abundant in peas.
They’re also a good source of protein. It is commonly added to foods or taken as a supplement, and offers health advantages in numerous studies.
Pea protein produced muscle increases that were comparable to those obtained from whey protein. Pea protein has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure in animals.
Bear in mind, though, that taking pea protein supplements isn’t essential to get these benefits. Peas supply a wealth of essential nutrients on their own.
Kidney beans
Fiber-rich foods, such as kidney beans, can help decrease sugar absorption into the bloodstream and so lower blood sugar levels. Kidney beans may also assist to lower heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure.
When healthy people ate 3/4 cup of red kidney beans, their blood pressure was much lower two hours later than when they ate the same amount of rice.
Last but not least, kidney beans are high in folate. Pregnant women should eat folate-rich meals since this water-soluble vitamin is essential for fetal neurological development.
Black beans
Black beans, in addition to being high in nutrients, have been shown to have a beneficial effect on intestinal microbes. Eating black beans raised a cluster of bacteria in the intestines of rats, which could lead to enhanced insulin sensitivity.
More human research is necessary to see if those impacts are the same for us. Because black beans have a lower glycemic index than many other high-carbohydrate foods, they may aid with blood sugar management. This means they have a lower blood sugar spike after a meal.
According to research, eating black beans with rice can lower blood sugar levels compared to eating rice alone.
Soybeans
Soybeans are abundant in antioxidants, as isoflavones, which are responsible for many of their health advantages. A large body of research suggests that eating soybeans and their isoflavones lowers the risk of cancer. Soybeans
However, many of these studies are descriptive, meaning the subjects’ diets were not monitored, so other factors could be influencing cancer risk.
Eating a lot of soybeans connects to a 15% decreased risk of stomach and other intestinal malignancies, according to a comprehensive analysis that combined the findings of 21 other studies. Women seem to benefit from soybeans in particular.
Because soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens, they may provide many of these benefits.
Pinto beans
Supplementing mice’s diets with pinto beans raised the number of gut bacteria that produce health-promoting short-chain fatty acids and compounds that protect against insulin resistance, according to one study.
Pinto bean chemicals may also help lower blood cholesterol levels. Pinto beans were discovered to help decrease cholesterol levels in hamsters by reducing intestine absorption and liver cholesterol synthesis.
Conclusion
To conclude, beans and legumes are high in dietary fiber, protein, B vitamins, and a variety of other vitamins and minerals. They may help lower blood sugar, improve heart health, and maintain a healthy gut, according to some data.
To make a nutritious vegetarian dinner, add them to soups, sauces, and salads, or simply eat them on their own. Perhaps, there are organic beans and legumes, such as chickpeas suppliers, who provide organic and healthy beans that you can use and add to your diet plans.
Read more: Edible Himalayan Pink Salt Amazing Benefits
