Nutritional and health benefits of pulses

Abstract

Pulses (beans, peas, and lentils) have been consumed for at least 10 000 years and are among the most extensively used foods in the world. A wide variety of pulses can be grown globally, making them important both economically as well as nutritionally. Pulses provide protein and fibre, as well as a significant source of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, zinc, folate, and magnesium, and consuming half a cup of beans or peas per day can enhance diet quality by increasing intakes of these nutrients. In addition, the phytochemicals, saponins, and tannins found in pulses possess antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic effects, indicating that pulses may have significant anti-cancer effects. Pulse consumption also improves serum lipid profiles and positively affects several other cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure, platelet activity, and inflammation. Pulses are high in fibre and have a low glycemic index, making them particularly beneficial to people with diabetes by assisting in maintaining healthy blood glucose and insulin levels. Emerging research examining the effect of pulse components on HIV and consumption patterns with aging populations indicates that pulses may have further effects on health. In conclusion, including pulses in the diet is a healthy way to meet dietary recommendations and is associated with reduced risk of several chronic diseases. Long-term randomized controlled trials are needed to demonstrate the direct effects of pulses on these diseases.

Facile Synthesis of Biologically Derived Fluorescent Carbon Nanoparticles (Fcnps) from an Abundant Marine Alga and its Biological Activities

“…Saponins are plant-derived biosurfactant 43 and a biologically active glycoside consisting of a sugar moiety linked to a hydrophobic aglycone with a triterpenoid or a steroid structure 44 . Moreover, saponins have plasma cholesterol lowering effect in humans, which is important in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases and shows a strong cytotoxic effect against cancer cell lines 45 . Also, FCNPs from C. vagabunda showed positive results for flavonoids and phenolics which are known to have anticancer, antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties as well [46][47][48] .…”

Decolonizing the Diet: synthesizing Native-American history, immunology, and nutritional science.

“…Nutrients found in beans and plant materials consumed in indigenous horticulture prior to contact are likely to have included magnesium, folate, zinc, iron, antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E, bioflavenoids, and phytochemicals. [82] Antioxidants and vitamins (particularly Vitamin C) are well known to be vital for immune function and for protection against chronic diseases. [83] Micronutrients such as iron (particularly found in beans and some green leafy vegetables), magnesium, and zinc are also known to have important roles in immune function.…”

Nutritional values and metabolic profile with and without boiled treatment of 'Gallo Matese' beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), a landrace from Southern Italy

“…Furthermore, pulses are beneficial because of their low glycemic index (Jenkins et al, 2012) and their consumption has a positive effect on several other cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure, platelet activity, and inflammation (Bazzano et al, 2001). In addition, many phytochemicals found in legumes possess antioxidant (Amarowicz and Pegg, 2008) and anti-carcinogenic (Mudryj et al, 2014) qualities.…”