- Lentils, dried beans, and peas are all rich in nutritional value and help promote better health.
<\/li> - As crops, pulses have a low carbon footprint and also enrich the soil where they grow.
<\/li> - Bean dishes come in many varieties as part of traditional diets around the world.
<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nThe humble dried beans and peas known as pulses are much more than tasty sponges of flavor in your soups and stews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019re also a cheap, healthy source of protein that could play a central role in solving the global problem of hunger and malnutrition, say international experts who gathered for a recent conference at The New York Academy of Sciences in New York City, the kickoff event of the United Nations\u2019 2016 International Year of Pulses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sonny Ramaswamy, PhD, director of the USDA\u2019s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and keynote speaker at the meeting, describes the nutrition \u201cdilemma of billions\u201d that pulses may help change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have, right now, an existential threat,\u201d says Dr. Ramaswamy. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge nightmare: We have over 7.3 billion people and a very significant challenge helping them get nutritional security. Nearly a billion go to bed hungry, and many of them are going to die.\u201d But, he adds, we also have the opposite: More than a billion people go to bed each night after taking Lipitor to lower cholesterol, insulin to keep blood sugar levels stable, or a medication to lower blood pressure \u2014 all because of diet-related illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, which these medications treat, are pervasive in the United States and other wealthy nations. And in some cases, the risks and complications of these diseases are directly related to the typical American diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s where pulses \u2014 beans, lentils, and dried peas \u2014 come into the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nPulses as Protein Powerhouses<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How could eating pulses help? The low cost and rich nutritional value of dried beans and peas were major topics at the conference, which was sponsored by The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science in New York City and Bush Brothers & Company of Knoxville, Tennessee, which packages and sells bean products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a nutrient-dense superfood, pulses are rich sources of dietary protein and minerals like iron and zinc. Chickpeas are a good example: One cup (about two to three servings) of the cooked legumes, also known as garbanzo beans, Bengal gram, or cece \u2014 and the main ingredient in hummus \u2014 provides you with more than 14 grams (g) of protein, 12 g of fiber, and 45 g of carbohydrates, along with about 5 milligrams (mg) of iron and 2.5 mg of zinc. In comparison, a three-ounce serving of beef varies depending on the cut, but has about 23 g protein and about 7 mg of iron, as well as 9 g of fat and no dietary fiber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How much protein do you need to eat each day? That varies based on your body weight. You should eat 0.36 g of protein per pound, so if you\u2019re 140 pounds, you need 50 g of protein each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to being nutritious, pulses like garbanzo beans are also sustainable crops. Pulses grow easily in tough environments and require minimal amounts of water, have a low carbon footprint, and also enrich \u2014 rather than deplete \u2014 the soil where they grow, says Julianne Curran, an organizer of the conference and vice president for food and health at Pulse Canada, an association of pulse growers, processors, and traders in Winnipeg, Manitoba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBeans for Better Health<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The health benefits of pulses extend beyond satisfying your daily nutritional needs: They also play a role in preventing chronic diseases, says John Sievenpiper, MD, PhD, associate professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto in Ontario. \u201cI write a dietary prescription for my patients,\u201d he says, given that his (and others’) research shows that beans and lentils are helpful for controlling diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension (high blood pressure) \u2014 conditions that can later lead to heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Sievenpiper\u2019s review of studies finds that eating pulses can help you feel full and, he says, lose weight if you’re overweight or obese. A small September 2015 study in the Journal of Food Science showed that adults felt as full after eating a bean-based meal as they did after a meal that included beef \u2014 though they felt more gas and bloating, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dried beans and peas are also high in prebiotics (non-digestible food ingredients that help healthy bacteria in the gut grow), says Mark Manary, MD, a pediatrician at Washington University in St. Louis\u2019s Institute for Public Health. \u201cNutrition is in the middle of a busy intersection of nutrients, protein, and gut health,\u201d he explains. And legumes can improve gut health by feeding the gut\u2019s good bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RELATED: Foods That Help or Hurt Digestion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Pulses and Healthy Cuisines<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPulses were immensely important during historic times because, unlike other plant foods, they could be easily stored in their dried form and offered an unparalleled amount of plant protein,\u201d says Sara Baer-Sinnott, president of Oldways, a Boston-based nonprofit that helps people improve their nutrition and health by getting in touch with their food heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom African black-eyed peas and Latin American black beans to French cassoulet and Asian lentil curries, pulses have always been the humble backbone of healthy cuisines,\u201d she says. \u201cIn fact, many of the world\u2019s Blue Zones \u2014 pockets around the globe with the highest concentrations of centenarians \u2014 have a strong tradition of serving pulse-based meals,\u201d she says. Among the Blue Zones are parts of California, Italy, Greece, Japan, and Costa Rica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRice and bean dishes are a part of traditional diets around the world,\u201d Baer-Sinnott notes. \u201cThink of black beans and rice in South America; Jollof rice and black beans in West Africa; brown rice and red beans with coconut milk in the Caribbean; Hoppin’ John, collard beans, and Carolina rice in the American South; Pasta e fagioli in the Italian Mediterranean; rice and bean stew in Asia; and curried dal with rice in India.\u201d
Here are three traditional pulse recipes from Oldways for you to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\nPasta e Fagioli<\/strong>: This traditional Italian dish exemplifies the Mediterranean diet, combining cannellini (white beans), pancetta, pasta, and fresh herbs, like rosemary and thyme, in a tomato sauce.
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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nChana Masala<\/strong>: In this popular Indian dish, chickpeas join spices like cinnamon, turmeric, and cumin in a base of coconut milk and tomato, along with chopped greens.
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