Legumes in Your Diet

The family of legumes include beans, soybeans, lentils, and peas. Peanuts are also legumes, but they are usually grouped with other nuts because they make similar nutritional contributions to the diet. Legumes are a highly economical food that contain valuable plant protein and other important nutrients. They are included in most diets that are believed to help control and protect against chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Types

There are many varieties of beans in the legume family, including black beans, white beans, pink beans, pinto beans, adzuki beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, edamame, or green soybeans, fava beans and chick-peas, or garbanzo beans. There are brown lentils, green lentils and red lentils, and green and yellow split peas. In various cultures, specific beans are used in specific dishes, but most beans are interchangeable in cooking.

Nutrition

Legumes are an excellent meat substitute for vegetarians and others who want to cut back on animal products. Like meat, beans are rich in protein and iron but, unlike meat, they are high in carbohydrates, low in fat and saturated fat and contain no cholesterol. Legumes are rich in the B vitamin folate and the minerals magnesium and potassium. They are also high in fiber and a variety of phytochemicals that contribute to good health and may help prevent the development of a variety of chronic diseases.

Benefits

Legumes are low glycemic index carbohydrates, which means they do not cause blood sugar to rise quickly and that makes them an excellent food choice for people with diabetes and others who are trying to control their blood sugar levels. Their low glycemic index, together with their fiber, vitamin, mineral and phytochemical content, may help control blood pressure and cholesterol levels and lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to Oregon State University.

A study published in a 2001 issue of "Archives of Internal Medicine" found that people who ate legumes four times a week had a 22 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than people who ate legumes less than once a week. Although no studies have confirmed the role of legumes in fighting cancer, beans, especially soybeans, contain phytochemicals that have the potential to reduce the risk of hormone-related cancers such as prostate and breast cancers.

Preparation

Dried beans must be soaked in water before cooking. Dried lentils and split peas can be cooked without soaking. Before soaking and cooking, legumes must be rinsed well and sorted through to remove any stray pieces of dirt or tiny rocks that may remain from harvesting. Soaked beans must be cooked for 1.5 to three hours, depending on the type of bean. One pound, or approximately 2 cups, of dried beans yields 5 to 6 cups of cooked beans. One-half cup of beans, lentils or split peas is considered a standard serving of legumes.

Considerations

Legumes are notorious for causing intestinal gas, but there are ways to enjoy the health benefits of beans without suffering uncomfortable side effects. Legumes should be be added gradually to the diet to allow the intestinal tract to adjust to the additional fiber and other substances they contribute to the diet. Soaking water should be discarded and beans rinsed with clean water before cooking.