Lentils and Nutrition: The Latest Research (2024)

FAQs

What happens if I eat lentils every day? ›

Eating half a cup of cooked lentils gives you lots of essential nutrients and their high fiber content makes you feel full. However, the fiber in lentils can be hard for your body to break down. Eating too many lentils can cause gas, bloating, and cramping.

Lentils are rich in dietary fiber, both the soluble and the insoluble type. They are undigested, which means they will pass out of our bodies. Insoluble fiber encourages regular bowel movement and prevents constipation and helps prevent colon cancer.

They are also nutritious, providing you with several nutrients including fiber, folate, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and protein. However, the protein in lentils is incomplete, as it does not contain sufficient amounts of all of the essential amino acids.

The best part is that black lentils are the most nutrient-dense type of lentil, including high quantities of calcium, potassium, iron, and protein. According to the USDA, a half cup of raw black lentils has 960 mg of potassium, 100 mg of calcium, 8 mg of iron, and 26g of protein.

Overall, lentils are a highly nutritious food with various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. The fiber and protein content in lentils make them beneficial for weight management, blood sugar regulation, and supporting overall gut health.

Detox Value and Health Benefits of Lentils

Lentils are one of the most nutritious foods that cleanse the liver. In fact, their detox properties aren't the best thing about this particular legume.

The combination of wheat or rice with beans or lentils is referred to as complementary because they create a nutritionally complete protein.

Lentils are rich in a type of fiber that helps your digestive system work as it should and fuels good bacteria in your gut. Fiber may also help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. “Fiber plays an important role in regulating our bowels and protecting the immune system,” says Homan.

Nutritional properties: Lentils have a lower phytate content than beans and are lower in indigestible sugars, which means that they are less likely to lead to flatulence than beans. Beans are also slightly higher in carbs than lentils, though their dietary fiber content can vary between legumes.

Since lentils have more fiber, lentils win this round. Lentils contain more protein than Chickpeas. Both chickpeas and lentils are great sources of vegetable protein. However, since lentils have more of this healthy nutrient, lentils win this round.

Are lentils better for you than potatoes? ›

Lentils can also help reduce blood sugar. In a study that included 48 healthy adults, replacing half of the carbs from rice or potatoes with carbs from cooked lentils at a meal led to significant decreases in post-meal blood sugars compared with eating rice or potatoes alone (12).

Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse. A 1/2 cup serving is an excellent source of folate, fiber, and manganese, and a good source of protein, thiamin, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and copper. Folate is required to create DNA and other genetic material.

Lentils and beans are rich in soluble fiber, which is the single best carbohydrate to help you burn belly fat. "Soluble fiber forms a thick gel when it binds with water in the body," Tracy said. "This gel that forms therefore slows digestion in the body, which keeps you feeling full for longer!

(You can even cook lentils in an Instant Pot.) In terms of how often you should be eating lentils, enjoying them a few times per week is ideal to reap all their amazing benefits.

Eating about 3/4 cup (130 grams) each day of these foods known as pulses led to a weight loss of 0.34 kilograms (just over half a pound), in a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available clinical trials on the effects of eating pulses.