Nutritional Properties Of Lentils

A cool-season legume crop, lentil has been in cultivation for over 8,000 years. Before science had the tools to analyze a food’s nutritional value, ancient Egyptians might have consumed the grain as an aphrodisiac, say the organizers of the National Lentil Festival in Pullman, Washington. Nowadays, we know lentils are a rich source of protein, iron and other vital nutrients.

Calories

One cup of cooked lentils has 225.8 calories, most of which -- 157.5 -- are from carbohydrates. Fat contributes 6.3 calories and protein 62. That is just over 11 percent of a 2,000-calorie diet. It takes 48 minutes of moderate walking to burn the calories you get in this serving of lentils.

Vitamins

Vitamin E is the only antioxidant present in any significant amount in this serving of lentils. Vitamins A and C are also found in the legume but at less than 1 percent of the recommended intake for the nutrients. Antioxidants render free radicals -- disease-causing molecules -- harmless. One cup of cooked lentils also provides six of the B-complex vitamins: B-6, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. In general, this group of nutrients helps your body to turn food into fuel during digestion. One cup of lentils contains 4 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin K, which allows your blood to coagulate.

Minerals

One cup of cooked lentils provides 37 percent of the daily intake for iron, 17 percent for zinc, 25 percent for copper, 49 percent for manganese and 8 percent for selenium. These are trace minerals your body needs in small amounts. Additional minerals in lentils are calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium. Calcium strengthens the bones and regulates your weight. Zinc facilitates physical and cognitive development and is a component of many enzymes.

Protein and Amino Acids

Every part of your body contains protein, substances made of amino acids. One cup of lentils provides nonessential amino acids, which your body can also produce, and essential amino acids, available only from foods. The total amino acid content corresponds to 36 percent of the recommended protein intake for one day. Histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, threonine, tryptophan and valine are the essential amino acids found in lentils. The nonessential amino acids in lentils are methionine and cystine as well as of phenylalanine and tyrosine.

Additional Nutrition

Lentils provide carbohydrates in the form of sugars and dietary fiber. The sugar is transformed into energy. Your body cannot break fiber down, but it needs the roughage for regular bowel movements. Dietary fiber also helps to maintain glucose and cholesterol at normal levels in your bloodstream. In addition, one cup of cooked lentils has 1 percent of youe recommended intake for fat.