Lentils have been long-standing staples of healthy diets. Regularly touted as superfoods, these foods offer amazing nutritional value and can be cooked and consumed in many different ways. There are a variety of different lentils and beans, which can help increase the healthiness of your diet.
A healthy diet is one of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle, and the long-term benefits found in lentils are just as impressive as the short-term ones. Feeling great makes your day that much better, and can make doing other aspects of healthy living, such as exercising, much easier.
Have a read and see just why you should be eating more lentils in your diet:
Digestion
Lentils provide a rich source of both types of fiber – soluble and insoluble.
Insoluble fiber can help to promote a health digestive system but encourage regular bowel movements. This means you avoid unwanted digestive problems such as constipation, and it can even help battle against the risks of colon cancer over the long-term.
Soluble fibers work in different ways but still highly beneficial. These can help to promote a healthy heart by reducing the chances of developing heart disease and can help to regulate blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.
With the daily recommendation of fiber 30-35 grams for a males and 20-25 grams for females, you can gain most of these from one cup of lentils – each contains up to 15 grams of fiber!
Heart Health
Along with the benefits gained from soluble fibers, the presence of folate and magnesium in lentils offers additional protection for a healthy heart. These minerals help to improve blood flow in the body, meaning our blood can transfer nutrients and oxygen much faster throughout the body.
Folic acids that help to provide protection of the artery walls can also be gained from lentils, with as much as 90% of our daily recommendations gained from one cup of lentils!
High Amounts of Minerals
A lot of us struggle to consume vital minerals that help to improve our overall health, yet eating more lentils could help to aid us in getting more in our diets.
Iron, magnesium and zinc are notable examples of the minerals that are present in lentils that people often lack. Iron is the most notable of these, with anemia caused by a lack of iron in our bodies. Zinc is vitally important for fighting off infections in the body too, so being able to get large amounts of these from eating lentils can benefit the health of many.
Many antioxidants are present in lentils too, including vitamins A and C. These can help to destroy free radicals in the body, which in turn can lower the possibility of oxidative damaged caused to our cells.
All in all, it’s clear that there are countless benefits our health can receive from regularly consuming lentils. They are cheap, easy to make and can help us on our way to a healthier diet and lifestyle – all the more reason to start eating them!
