Lentils

Lentils are seeds that grow in pods, and are a part of the legume family of foods, which also includes peanuts, beans, peas, and chickpeas. They come in a variety of shapes and colors and are a staple in the cuisine of Asia and the Middle East. Often eaten in soups, salads, and stews, lentils are a remarkably nutritious food and it’s a good idea to include them in a healthy diet regimen due to their numerous health benefits. For instance…

Weight Management

Lentils are a good food for weight-loss, because they are abundant in soluble fiber, which helps satisfy hunger and keeps you feeling full.

Research has consistently found a link between high consumption of pulses (seeds, including lentils) and healthy body weight. Pulse intake is inversely related to obesity risk and a high body mass index.¹

Blood Sugar

The fiber content also helps stabilize blood glucose levels by slowing absorption of carbohydrates, as well as promoting regularity and keeping constipation and irritable bowel syndrome at bay.^2,3

Gut Bacteria

Moreover, the soluble fiber provided by lentils helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria that are essential for the digestive tract.³

Black, brown, and green lentils are the varieties that provide the most fiber, because they come with intact husks.

Cholesterol Reduction

A review of 26 US and Canadian studies that included a total of more than 1,000 subjects found that a three-quarter-cup serving of legumes such as lentils was linked to a significant 5% reduction in LDL cholesterol.⁴

Doctors such as internist Robert Graham, MD, have expressed enthusiasm for the results.

“By making a small dietary change, such as consuming one serving a day of beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas—as most of the world does already—we can make a modest risk reduction in our incidence of heart disease by lowering our ‘bad cholesterol’ LDL, especially in men,”⁵ said Dr. Graham.

References

1. Adv Nutr. 2010;1(1):17-30.
2. J Food Sci Technol. 2015;52(2):633-47.
3. Int J Mol Med. 2017;40(3):607-13.
4. Cmaj. 2014;186(8):E252-62.
5. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/yasvrcxr. Accessed November 10, 2017.