Health Benefits of Legumes (Beans and Lentils)

Legumes (beans and lentils) are packed with nutrition, including protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals, and are very cheap. When cooked right, they are so delicious that even the most hardened carnivores will be amazed. A recipe is included.

Why should we eat legumes?
Legumes, when eaten in place of refined carbohydrates, can actually...

1. Prevent food cravings¹
2. Prevent metabolic syndrome (source: see link below, right)
3. Prevent type 2 diabetes (source: see link below, right)
4. Protect against cancer^2,3
5. Provide lots of protein and energy⁴
6. Provide lots of calcium⁵
7. Provide lots of vitamins and minerals⁶
8. Prevent obesiity⁷
9. Protect against heart disease⁸

How can inexpensive legumes do all that?
Let's examine each one of the amazing points above, made possible by legumes, one of the cheapest sources of protein, calcium, and numerous vitamins and minerals.

1. How do legumes prevent food cravings? Legumes (beans and lentils) prevent food cravings by providing energy and nutrients without causing the pancreas to flood the body with insulin¹. Foods that are high on the glycemic index⁹, such as high fructose corn syrup, sugar, refined or enriched flour, white rice, and other refined carbohydrates⁹, cause the pancreas to secrete large amounts of insulin, and within 1 to 2 hours (varies per person), this flood of insulin is then followed by an acute drop in blood sugar, causing food cravings, especially for refined starches that quickly satisfy a low-blood-sugar craving⁹. This is a cycle that is difficult to break free from.

2. How do legumes prevent metabolic syndrome? Metabolic Syndrome is a collection of symptoms, the primary symptom being insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), according to an article at http://aclnk.com/ar1638218. People who have developed Metabolic Syndrome experience a higher degree of difficulty losing weight than others because the Metabolic Syndrome has slowed down their metabolism, making weight loss even more difficult, according to the article found at http://aclnk.com/ar1638218. Metabolic syndrome begins after an excessive amount of fat has accumulated on the body from repeatedly eating past the point of fullness, mostly due to refined starches, according to http://aclnk.com/ar1638218. Breaking free of this vicious cycle is very tough, and the victim must undergo withdrawal from refined carbohydrates, and learn to eat 3 moderately-sized meals per day with no snacks between meals in order to allow the body to burn fat and reverse the Metabolic Syndrome, according to http://aclnk.com/ar1638218. Eating legumes in place of refined starches prevents the pancreas from releasing large amounts of insulin, which helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels¹¹. This prevents cravings and overeating by providing a longer period of feeling full after a meal, thus preventing Metabolic Syndrome¹¹.

3. How do legumes prevent Type 2 diabetes? When we eat legumes in place of refined carbohydrates, this allows our bodies to maintain a healthy blood sugar level as described in the previous paragraph, which in turn allows the pancreas to function properly and not over-produce insulin¹¹, thus sparing us from the ravages of Type 2 diabetes. Insulin helps us to digest carbohydrate. During our lives, our pancreas only puts out a certain amount of insulin. As mentioned previously, repeated overconsumption of refined starches eventually depletes the pancreas, causing it to no longer produce insulin. The result is Type 2 diabetes. Eating legumes in place of refined carbohydrates prevents Type 2 diabetes^1,10,11. This means that Type 2 diabetes is a diet-related condition.

4. How do legumes protect us against cancer? According to the University of Queensland in Australia, legumes contain a compound that prevents cancer risk and may also help with cancer treatment². Another way that legumes protect us from cancer is by helping to prevent obesity, explained below in point #8. Keeping thin reduces our cancer risk, because people with excessive body fat have an increased risk of cancer¹⁵. And that's not all. Refined carbohydrates feed cancer cells and suppress the immune system¹². Thus, eating legumes in place of refined carbohydrates prevents fueling malignant cells with sugar and helps to keep the immune system stronger, which helps to protect against cancer. Additionally, eating beans (legumes) in place of refined starch helps to prevent liver cancer caused by fatty liver disease which usually is a result of obesity, a preventable condition by avoiding refined carbohydrates, according to the British Journal of Cancer at http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v97/n7/full/6603932a.html

5. How does eating legumes provide protein and energy to the body? In research performed by Dr. Nijhoff in the Netherlands, he concluded that the quality of protein and energy supplied by legumes rivals that of any other grain protein. Legumes are a good source of protein, contributing critical nutrition to the diets of both people and animals globally, according to research of soybeans, peanuts, peas, French beans, chick peas (garbanzo beans), pigeon peas, cowpeas, mung beans, black gram beans, azuki beans, lentils, Lathyrus, lupinus, Lotus, Medicago, Trifolium, Winged beans, Guar beans, and tree legumes¹⁴.

6. How do legumes provide calcium? Legumes are rich in calcium, according to Citracal (http://www.citracal.com/Calcium/Foods/Legumes.aspx), with winged beans having the highest concentration of calcium, followed by soybeans, white beans, great northern beans, baked beans, navy beans, French beans, yellow beans, lentils, pinto beans, mung beans, pink beans, refried, garbanzo (chick pea), and many other legumes.

7. How do legumes provide lots of vitamins and minerals? Legumes provide many essential vitamins and minerals, according to the Australian Government's Department of Health and Aging. All beans provide similar nutrition and dietary fiber. A few of the more popular legumes are listed below with their vitamin/mineral content, according to "The Health Guide" at http://www.veghealthguide.com/legumes-beans.html

Black beans (also referred to as black turtle beans) provide folate, manganese, protein, magnesium, vitamin B1 (thiamin), phosphorus, iron, and are also packed with antioxidants.

Garbanzo beans (also referred to as chick peas) contain manganese, folate, protein, copper, phosphorus, and iron.

Kidney bean consumption provides folate, manganese, protein, iron, phosphorus, copper, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B1 (thiamin), and vitamin K.

Lentils, which are also a legume, are a rich source of folate, manganese, iron, protein, phosphorus, copper, vitamin B1 (thiamin), and potassium.

Lima beans, which are also a legume, (also referred to as butter beans) provide us with manganese, folate, protein, potassium, iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin B1 (thiamin).

Navy beans (also referred to as white beans) are an excellent source of folate, manganese, protein, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B1 (thiamin).

Peas, which are also legumes, contain manganese, protein, folate, vitamin B1 (thiamin, potassium, and phosphorus.

Pinto beans (also referred to as mottled beans) give us folate, manganese, protein, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, and vitamin B1 (thiamin).

Soybeans are a rich source of manganese, protein, iron, phosphorus, vitamin K, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, copper, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and potassium.

8. How do legumes prevent obesity? Legumes, when eaten in place of refined starches, prevent obesity by allowing the pancreas to release safe, low levels of insulin for digesting the legumes, which helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels¹¹. This prevents cravings and overeating by providing a longer period of feeling full after a meal¹¹. This process greatly helps to prevent obesity.

9. How does the consumption of legumes protect us from heart disease? Legumes may help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood¹⁶, thus reducing or eliminating the risk of heart disease. Legumes have absolutely no cholesterol, because they are a plant, according to a "Health Care Industry" article by BNET at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0876/is_n74/ai_18001480/

In summary, beans (legumes) are packed with nutrition: vitamins, minerals, calcium, protein, and antioxidants. Legumes can help to lower cholesterol levels. When eaten in place of refined starches, legumes prevent food cravings, prevent metabolic syndrome, prevent type 2 diabetes, protect against cancer, provide lots of protein, energy, calcium, vitamins and minerals, prevent obesity, and protect against heart disease. And they are very inexpensive. How can we afford not to eat them?

The following recipe is incredibly simple yet so delicious that it will amaze any carnivore.

Buy several pounds or bags of assorted beans and lentils (garbanzo, navy, great northern, pinto, black, red, kidney, split pea, etc., etc.), and mix them all together in a large storage container. Next, use this recipe for the mixed beans:

7 ½ cups water
2 cups assorted mixed dried beans & lentils
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon salt (less if on a low-salt diet)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (1/2 tsp. for medium heat)

Put all ingredients into a slow cooker and soak for 12 to 24 hours. This causes the beans to begin to germinate and lose their gas-causing compounds.

After soaking, turn slow cooker to "high" and cook for 5 to 6 hours, until beans are tender. Since slow cookers vary dramatically in evaporation of water, if beans look dry after 2-3 hours, add 1-2 cups of boiling water. If they look too soupy after 5 hours, add a few tablespoons of dried onions to soak up excess moisture and cook for another 30 to 60 minutes.

Serve over brown rice, and top with salsa. Makes 12 servings. Great when reheated.

References:
1. "Effect of legumes on blood sugar in diabetes mellitus" by Dilawari JB, Kumar VK, Khurana S, Bhatnagar R, Dash RJ; pub: Indian Journal of Medical Research, 1987 Feb;85:184-7

2. "Legume Compounds May Help Cancer Treatment" 9 April 2006, University of Queensland, Australia. Press release available at: http://researchaustralia.org/content/documents/legumecompounds_10.04.06.pdf

3. Legumes contain molybdenum, reducing cancer risk: http://www.moyak.com/papers/molybdenum-mineral-antioxidant.html

4. "Legumes are Protein and Energy Rich" http://www.grainlegumes.com/var/plain/storage/original/application/2864c7a5e3bb0c92e61c74f1cee7a301.pdf

5. "Calcium-Rich Foods" by Citracal: http://www.citracal.com/Calcium/Foods/Legumes.aspx

6. "Vitamin and Supplement Guide-List of Vitamins" http://www.the-vitamin-and-supplement-guide.com/listofvitamins.html

7. "Cereal Grains, Legumes, and Weight Management" by Wms, Grafenauer, and O'Shea, full article at: http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1092&context=hbspapers

8. Metabolic Syndrome, increase in heart disease, published by Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/10533.php

9. Glycemic index of common foods: http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

10. New Legume Sources as Therapeutic Agents: http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FBJN%2FBJN88_S3%2FS0007114502002581a.pdf&code=c377a718a03b2e25892e95a86818a91c

11. "Obesity: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology and Prevention" by Bagchi and Preuss, CRC Press 2007.

12. "Breast Cancer" by Dr. Fred John Harding

13. "Quality Plant Foods in Human Nutrition" by Nijhoff; 36 (1986) 119-137.

14. "Improvement Strategies of Leguminosae Biotechnology" by Jaiwal and Singh, 2003.

15. U.S. National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute at www.cancer.gov16. "Legumes and Their Effect on Heart Disease" by Crawford and Hodgkin, October 2002.