There is an old Spanish belief indicating that eating lentils before the end of the year will bring luck during the coming months.
In any case, lentils are a delicious vegetables, which in addition to important benefits and properties for the health of those who consume them regularly, have equally interesting nutritional values.
Benefits and properties of lentils
For those who follow a vegetarian diet, lentils are one of the most important and outstanding iron, since it is combined with amino acids.
From a nutritional point of view, it is a food rich in vitamins (B1 and B2) and minerals such as copper, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and iron.
Lentils can be complemented with rice, since like other legumes, they constitute an important source of protein.
They are essential for people with anemia, iron abundance is easily assimilable. However, even though they are very nutritious, are recommended not certainly excessive amounts.
Lentils are a few vegetables that grow as peas and beans, i.e. in a pod. This pod contains two lentil seeds inside. They are quite small and flat and when splitting in half, appear to peas. Lentils never come fresh to the table. They are cooked or boiled. When they are dry, lentils have an infinite lifetime. This is one of the reasons why they were so popular among our ancestors.
There are hundreds of varieties of lentils that vary in color. We can find them in yellow, Orange, red, green, Brown and black and can be purchased with or without skin.
Today, are eaten lentils in the world, especially in Eastern Europe and in the India. The famous Indian dish called dhal is made up of eight of the essential amino acids. This dish has changes its recipe to the length and breadth of the country.
Cholesterol-lowering lentils
Lentils soluble fiber helps remove cholesterol, that binds to the same, by reducing the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Also, there is evidence that lentils have the ability to slow down the liver production of cholesterol, which helps to reduce the levels in the body in the same way.
The lentils against Diabetes
You may want to diabetics know that lentils soluble fiber traps carbohydrates. This in turn slows down digestion and absorption, helping to avoid big swings in blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Lentils help digestion
Due to their high fiber, lentils cause an increase in the size of the stool, which speeds up the waste products travel through the intestine. This means that they are ideal to help relieve constipation. Fiber also has the ability to reduce the risk and symptoms of diverticulosis, a medical condition in which a few small pockets form in the colon wall (usually by the pressure of the straining during defecation).
Lentils for weight control
Since insoluble fiber is indigestible and passes through the body almost intact, for that reason, it provides few calories. Since the digestive tract has a certain capacity and fiber-rich foods they occupy more space than other foods, people who eat lentils, tend to eat less.
The lentils in the prevention of cancer
A study that was carried out by the Nutrition Department of the school of the public health from Harvard in Boston, has shown that diets which are consumed many lentils and peas (both contain high levels of isoflavones) reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. These studies are not definitive, although no doubt he has recorded this idea in our thinking.
Lentils for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases
The consumption of dietary fiber, particularly fiber contained in lentils, has been found to reduce our risk to coronary heart disease.
The glycemic index of lentils
In a study to determine the Glycemic Index estimate of various foods, it was concluded that lentils have a Glycemic between 21 and 30.
The adverse reactions of lentils
The total quantities of lentils oxalate exceed the current recommendations of the consumption of oxalate for people who have a history of renal/urinary stones and for that reason, its use should be limited.