As humans, it is a popular saying that health is wealth. Rightly said isn’t? Otherwise, what is the essence of gaining the whole world and being confiscated to the hospital bed with sickness? Now the big deal is that the healthiest people alive are not those that have the costliest doctors at their beck and call. In most cases, some of the healthiest people alone are those that mind what they eat. While it may sound too simple and almost unrealistic, good health almost tantamount to healthy eating.

Legume and beans generally are very healthy foods you can gift your system with. The health benefits of these meals are illustrious and almost baffling. All from cutting down heftily on your blood sugar levels, down to cutting down your cholesterol and even increasing your gut bacteria (which your body desperately needs to stay healthy). Would you mind if we take some time out to look at some of the healthiest beans or legumes you can eat? Okay, let us start.

Let us start with chickpeas

In other parlances, chickpeas can be regarded as garbanzo beans. Talking protein and fiber, then you are rightly talking garbanzo beans (chick peas). More than this, credible scientific studies have found out that these chickpeas can help in ramping up your insulin sensitivity and even reducing your blood sugar. When compared to what you get in this regard to what you get from other high carb foods, chickpeas are champions.

Talking about the nutritional composition, a cup of cooked chickpeas which is about 164g contains an approximate: fiber(12.5g), proteins (14.5g), calories (259), Iron (26% of the RDI), Folate which is the same as vitamin B9 (71% of the RDI), Copper (29% of the RDI).

Chickpeas as earlier illustrated, play a great role in reducing your “bad” low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This bad cholesterol is a notorious culprit in a lot of the heart diseases your heart suffers. Chickpeas also are great for the aforementioned gut bacteria. Chickpeas have a great amount of gut-friendly fiber. More than this, chickpeas would also cut down on the bad bacteria hiding away in your intestines thereby improving your bowel function. Don’t you love all these?

Lentils are also great for you too

When it comes to maintaining a vegetarian protein, then you should be rightly looking at lentils. Aside from the health functionalities, lentils have a spectacular way of taking your stew and your soups to new levels of tastiness. Basically looking at its nutritional side, one cup of lentils (which is about 198g) contains amidst other components, an approximate value of : 18 grams of protein, calorie (230), 16g of fiber, vitamin B9 (90% of the RDI) same as folate, vitamin B1 (22% of the RDI), Copper (29% of the RDI).

Just like their colleague chickpeas, lentils are great in the reduction of your blood sugar levels. Lentils keep you “full” greatly reducing the way your stomach empties. Lentils also improve the digestive process in such a way that it prevents a situation where there is an unhealthy spike in your blood sugar after you have eaten. As great sources vegetarian protein, you can adequately use your lentils to replace your animal-based proteins like fish and meat. Also, lentils are also helpful in reducing the bad LDL cholesterol we earlier talked about thereby safeguarding the health of your heart.

Lastly, we will be looking at peas

Peas are essentially legumes although they are of a vast variety. Again looking at what their make up as to their nutritional value, we can see that one cup of peas which is about 160g of cooked peas contains 8g of proteins, 9g of fiber, calories (125), Manganese (22% of the RDI), vitamin (B1 30% of the RDI), Vitamin K (48% of the RDI)…Peas are great supplements with amazing health benefits.

Peas flour are tremendous in reducing the amount of insulin in your blood. Also peas flour are helpful in reducing blood triglycerides. The same advantages can be said of pea fiber as well. Pea has also been found to improve stool rate in older people thereby reducing their need for laxatives.

All in all, we see that legumes and pulses, in general, are organic powerhouses which help us to stay healthy and performing for so little. Adascan remains a reputable exporter of all pulses and grains.