The benefits of lentils include the ability to improve and maintain heart health. They help you lose weight in a healthy way, maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and also improve digestive health.
Today, they are enjoyed around the world in many types of recipes. They are one of the best natural substitutes for meat. Vegetarians love them because they are a great protein food, rich in nutrients and have a rich and dense texture.
The benefits of lentils for health
Lentils offer a wide range of important nutrients in a single one-cup serving, especially folate, manganese, iron, and phosphorous.
They are a source of fibre
Lentils contain both soluble and insoluble fibre; that means they fill by expanding in the stomach and absorbing water.
Additionally, studies show that fibre from foods such as legumes can help improve heart, metabolic, digestive, and immune function by removing waste, excess fat, and toxins from the body.
Also read Foods rich in fiber that we should eat
They help protect heart health
When it comes to heart health, studies show that legumes are one of the best high-fibre foods for heart health.
A 2017 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that lentils are rich in polyphenols. Several studies have shown that the consumption of lentils is related to the reduction of the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
Researchers have found that diets rich in lentils prevent hypertension, and they tend to produce more favourable cholesterol levels than diets low in lentils. Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels reduces the damage done to the arteries and prevents dangerous plaque build-up, greatly reducing your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Compared to other types of fatty or processed meats, they are also very low in fat and sodium, other key factors that make up a heart-healthy diet. Low sodium diets support healthy blood pressure levels. Like the many nutrients lentils provide such as folate, potassium, and magnesium.
They may improve digestive health
With such high levels of dietary fibre, lentils are great for promoting regular bowel movements. Their high level of insoluble fibre absorbs water in the digestive tract, swells and removes waste from the digestive tract.
They work as a great digestive regulator and help potentially prevent constipation, symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases, diverticulitis, and even diarrhoea. To get the most digestive benefits from lentil nutrition, drink plenty of water so that the fibre you eat has enough fluid to absorb.
They help alkalize the body and balance the pH level
Lentils are one of the most alkaline protein sources out there, which is important for balancing the body’s pH level and promoting a healthy intestinal environment. When the digestive system becomes too acidic, for example from eating processed foods high in sugar or fried foods, an imbalance in bacteria develops that can lead to numerous health problems.
Lentils help fight the acidic environment of the intestine and promote healthy bacterial growth. This is important for nutrient absorption, indigestion, constipation, and many other illnesses as well.
Eating an alkalizing diet rich in plant foods can help reduce the risk of problems such as kidney stones, ulcers, and bone loss.
They control blood sugar levels
Research indicates that the high level of soluble fibre found in legumes traps glucose from carbohydrates and slows digestion. This means that they can help stabilize blood sugar levels.
That’s important to prevent energy dips, mood swings, and serious conditions like diabetes, insulin resistance, or hypoglycaemia.
One of the benefits of lentils is the low starch content. They contain only about 35 percent digestible starch, with the remaining 65 percent classified as resistant starch, the type that essentially escapes digestion and absorption in the small intestine because a high level of carbohydrates and glucose from lentils cannot be digested by the body.
They have a very low impact on blood sugar compared to refined cereals and packaged carbohydrates.
In a 2018 study, replacing half of the participants’ high-glycaemic foods with lentils led to significant improvements in blood sugar control, as they had a natural blood glucose-lowering effect.
They are a high source of plant-based protein
Lentils are considered one of the best sources of plant protein. They have the third highest level of protein by weight of any legume or nut, right after soybeans and hemp seeds.
As a high-protein food, they contain about 18 grams of protein in each one-cup serving, the equivalent of eating about three whole eggs!
For vegetarians, lentils have long been considered important sources of nutrition. They provide proteins, complex carbohydrates, fibre and vitamins throughout the year since they are stable.
They are an important source of protein for people who avoid eating animal products because, in addition to avoiding protein deficiency, they also provide many minerals. Lentils are considered a superior “functional food” due to their high nutritional value, polyphenols, minerals, fibre, and other bioactive compounds.
While they are known to provide protein and fibre, their polyphenol content is becoming the focus of ongoing research, as polyphenols are known to play an important role in the prevention of degenerative diseases.
They can help you lose weight
With 15 grams of fibre in each one-cup serving, they are one of the most filling foods. In addition, they are low in calories but rich in protein and fibre. This helps you feel full, making you less likely to snack during the day or overeat. If you doubt, this is one of the great benefits of lentils.
Risks and side effects
One of the biggest problems surrounding all legumes is that they naturally contain anti-nutrient factors, such as trypsin inhibitors, and a relatively high content of phytate.
Trypsin is an enzyme involved in digestion and phytate reduces the bioavailability of dietary minerals.
Another factor to consider when eating lentils is that they contain lectins, which can also disturb digestion and cause problems for some people such as irritable bowel syndrome. In moderate amounts this shouldn’t be a problem, but when someone has already compromised digestion, large servings of lentils can lead to digestive upset.
ALFA