The Great Benefits of Lentils in Your Diet
Did you know that lentils are packed with nutrients?
Lentils come from the legume family and are edible seeds that are shaped as a lens and are either sold with or without their outer husks intact.
The world’s leading producer and exporter of lentils is Canada, the province known as Saskatchewan produces 95% of Canada’s lentils.
There are different types of lentils which are often categorised by their colour ranging from yellow, red to green, brown to black. Lentils have a high nutrition content including B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, potassium, fibre, thiamine, niacin and folate. They contain 25% protein making them a great source of protein and they also contain the mineral, iron.
The high fibre content in lentils helps to support regular bowel movements and the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Lentils also contain a wide range of plant compounds called phytochemicals in which many of them protect against chronic diseases. An example of phytochemicals in lentils is polyphenols which include procyanidin and flavanols. Procyanidin and flavanols have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. In addition, studies have indicated that polyphenols may be able to improve blood sugar levels. Furthermore, lentils have been found to lower the risk of heart disease.
Although, lentils are a great source of nutrients, they also contain antinutrients which can have an impact on the absorption of other nutrients. Lentils contain trypsin inhibitors; these inhibitors block the production of an enzyme that help break down protein from your diet. However, a low amount of trypsin is found in lentils and it is unlikely for it to have a major impact on the protein digestion in the body. Other antinutrients in lentils include lectins (which can resist digestion and bind to other nutrients preventing their absorption), tannins (which can bind to proteins), phytic acid (which can bind to minerals such as iron, zinc and calcium, reducing their absorption); however, soaking and cooking lentils will reduce the impact of these antinutrients allowing you to absorb the majority of the nutrition content found in lentils.
Lentils can be used in a variety of cooking recipes such as soups, rice and many more, they also taste great.
So, what have you learnt about lentils and their health benefits?
Dr Hanife Mehmet
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