Underrated product: why eat lentils

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Lentils are a close relative of peas and beans. Those who prefer plant-based food replace meat with it because lentils are high in protein. Let's talk about the benefits of lentils.

Lentils belong to the legume family. It is grown in different countries, as this culture is relatively undemanding to weather conditions. Canada sells the most lentils for export.

Lentils can be used to make soup, puree or as a side dish. And they make cutlets and even healthy bread from it. It is cooked quite quickly, is relatively inexpensive and contains many substances necessary for the body.

Types of lentils

There are several types of lentils. They differ in color and taste.

Brown. This is a fairly popular variety, often used in soup or as a side dish. Before adding it to the dish, you need to soak it for 30-40 minutes.
Green/Puy. You can make a delicious puree from these varieties or use it to make falafel.
Yellow/red.Such lentils have a sweet taste, they do not need to be cooked for a long time and pre-soaked – they are boiled quickly. It is added to Indian dav soup, used both as an independent dish and as a side dish.
Beluga. It is small in size and black in color, looks like caviar. It can become the basis for warm salads or an independent dish.

Calorie and nutritional value

Lentils are rich in protein, fiber, iron, potassium, zinc and other useful vitamins and minerals.

In one serving of cooked lentils (about 198 g):

230 calories
39.9 g carbohydrates
17.9 g protein
0.8 g fat
15.6 g of fiber.

It also contains folic and pantothenic acids, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese. Beneficial compounds found in lentils help reduce the risk of developing chronic heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Benefits of Lentils

Lentils contribute to the health of the heart, blood vessels, normalizing weight and digestion.

Contains beneficial polyphenols

• Polyphenols are phytochemicals that protect the body from oxidative stress and reduce inflammation.
• Scientists also found that lentils can inhibit the production of cyclooxygenase-2, a molecule that stimulates inflammation .
• Polyphenols do not lose their beneficial properties after cooking, because heat treatment does not affect them.

Improves heart health

If you eat lentils, you can reduce the risk of heart problems.

48 overweight people participated in one experiment. They were also diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. For eight weeks, they ate 60 g of lentils every day. As a result, they increased the level of “good” cholesterol, decreased “bad” LDL and triglycerides.

Lentils can also help normalize blood pressure. A rodent study showed that compared to animals that ate peas, chickpeas, or beans, rats that consumed lentils had lower blood pressure.

In addition, the proteins in lentils can block the substance angiotensin-I- ACE-converting enzyme (ACE), which normally causes blood vessels to constrict, thereby increasing blood pressure.

High levels of homocysteine ​​are considered another risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It can increase when there is not enough folic acid in the body. Since lentils are recognized as an excellent source of folic acid, it is believed that they can help prevent the accumulation of excess homocysteine.

Improves digestion

Lentils are rich in fiber, which helps regulate the digestive process and has a positive effect on growth healthy intestinal bacteria. It also supports the feeling of satiety and contributes to the normalization of weight, reducing the amount of food consumed.

Side effects

Legumes contain tannins and anti-nutrients such as trypsin inhibitors and phytic acid. They prevent the absorption of some nutrients. But their number is significantly reduced when lentils are soaked and cooked.

Lentils contain a lot of fiber, and if you abuse this product, it can cause flatulence and constipation.

It also contains fermented carbohydrates ( FODMAPs), which can lead to indigestion in people with irritable bowel syndrome.

How to cook

Red lentil hummus

Lentils can be cooked in about 20 minutes.

Wash it, put it in a saucepan and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil, and then leave on low heat until ready. The cooking time depends on the variety and your taste preferences: lentils can be boiled into pureed soup or left for a side dish in a more solid state.

Also, it is advisable to soak lentils overnight to get rid of phytic acid, and cook them the next day. This is how lentils are prepared in literally 10 minutes.

Ready lentils can be stored in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Expert comments

Anastasia Kozyr, nutritionist, nutritionist

Lentils have been familiar to us since childhood. It was Cinderella who separated it from the rice according to one of the many versions. On the territory of the former USSR, peas are the most common, although lentils began to be cultivated in the Neolithic era. It formed the basis of nutrition of many prehistoric civilizations.

From a dietary point of view, lentils contain from 26 to 31% easily digestible protein, which includes all essential amino acids. Lentil proteins are only slightly inferior to proteins of animal origin.

At the same time, lentils contain only 2% fat and 50% carbohydrates. It is an excellent prebiotic. Its dietary fibers reduce cholesterol and are important in therapeutic nutrition for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.

For people suffering from diabetes, lentils are a particularly valuable food product, as they are characterized by with a very low glycemic index (25) and when it is broken down, there is no sharp increase in blood sugar. The seeds contain many vitamins of groups B, A, C and PP and trace elements, including iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, molybdenum, boron, cobalt. Iron contains 4 times more than peas, beans and soybeans.

People who suffer from gout or are prone to this disease should limit lentils because of the high purine content, which increases the disease-causing processes. It should also be remembered that the product can cause discomfort in the stomach and fermentation processes, so you should not cook it for dinner.

Otherwise, lentils are quite worthy of taking their place in the daily proper nutrition of a modern person.< /p>