The United Nations International Year Of Pulses

BON APPETIT!

The United Nations (UN) & its branch the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) have designated the year 2016 as "The International Year Of Pulses" (IYP). The purpose of this effort is to promote awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security & nutrition.

Considering that such a project falls squarely into the agricultural sector, this week's edition is designed as a primer to acquaint readers with the top 5 most popular pulses grown in Pakistan - &, more importantly, what are the health benefits of consuming them.

The 5 main types of pulses grown in Pakistan are:

1. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
2. Lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.)
3. Mung Bean (Vigna radiata [L.] Wilczek)
4. Black Gram or Mash (Vigna mungo L. Hepper)
5. Kidney Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Chickpeas

Chickpeas, are rich in both soluble & insoluble dietary fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that snares bile (which contains cholesterol) & ferries it out of the body. Soluble fiber helps stabilize blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, beans like chickpeas can help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. They have a low GI value of 28 - 32, which means the carbohydrate in them is broken down & digested slowly. This is helpful for weight loss as it controls appetite. Insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk & prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders.

Chickpeas are a good source of protein. Combined with a whole grain such as whole-wheat protein, they provide protein levels comparable to meat or dairy foods without the high calories or saturated fats.

Chickpeas are an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese, which is an essential co-factor in a number of enzymes important in energy production & antioxidant defenses. Just one cup of chickpeas supplies 84.5% of the daily value for this mineral.

Chickpeas are high in iron. This is particularly important for menstruating women, pregnant or lactating women & growing children. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, & is part of key enzyme systems for energy production & metabolism.

Chickpeas can lower LDL (bad) & total cholesterol. Chickpeas contain significant amounts of folate & magnesium. Folate lowers amino acid & homo-cysteine levels, & strengthens the blood vessels. Studies have found chickpeas lower the risk of heart attack.

Chickpeas contain phytochemicals called saponins, which can act as antioxidants. It could lower the risk of breast cancer, protect against osteoporosis & minimize hot flushes in post-menopausal women.

Lentils

Lentils are rich in cholesterol-lowering fiber. Their fiber prevents blood sugar from rising rapidly after a meal, making them beneficial to blood-sugar disorder patients. Lentils are rich in dietary fiber, both the soluble & insoluble types. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that snares bile (which contains cholesterol) & ferries it out of the body. Insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk & prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) & diverticulosis.

Lentils provide good to excellent amounts of the B-vitamins & protein, with virtually no fat...just 230 calories per cup of cooked lentils.

Lentils contain significant amounts of folate & magnesium. Folate helps lower levels of homo-cysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. When folate (as well as vitamin B6) are around, homo-cysteine is immediately converted into cysteine or methionine, both of which are benign. When these B-vitamins are not available, levels of homo-cysteine increase in the bloodstream - a bad idea since homo-cysteine damages artery walls & is considered a serious risk factor for heart disease. Magnesium is Nature's own calcium channel blocker.

In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, lentils can increase your energy by replenishing your iron stores. Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency, boosting iron stores with lentils is a good idea - especially because, unlike red meat, another source of iron, lentils are not rich in fat & calories.

Mung Beans

Mung beans are highly effective at inhibiting LDL oxidation due to their potent free-radical scavenging properties. They have also been shown to target another significant cardiovascular disease risk factor in high blood pressure.

Mung beans are ideal for people with type II diabetes, since they cause a small, slow rise in postprandial (after-meal) blood glucose levels. This prevents dangerously rapid spikes in blood sugar & insulin that impair vascular health & aggravate cardiovascular disease.

Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) form as the result of the chemical reaction between glucose & proteins in the body. These dysfunctional molecules damage tissue in the kidneys & retina, which accelerates the diabetic complications of kidney dysfunction & blindness. When Chinese researchers analyzed the AGE inhibition activity of sixteen legumes, mung beans ranked second only to kidney beans.

Mung beans suppress the growth of human liver & highly aggressive cervical cancer lines through multiple mechanisms, including cytotoxicity, inducing anti-cancer cytokines, halting cancer cell cycles, & triggering apoptosis (programmed cell death). Mung beans contain a high amount of insoluble fiber & resistant starch, which undergo bacterial fermentation in the large intestine to produce butyrate. This short-chain fatty acid provides substantial protection against colon cancer by inhibiting DNA damage & cutting off the blood supply tumors require for growth.

The combination of fiber & protein makes mung beans one of the most effective dietary foods to combat obesity & enhance weight loss.

Black Gram

Black gram is a healthy pulse as it is rich in iron content. This helps boost the energy levels in the body & keeps you active.

It is a protein-rich pulse for vegetarians. For those who do not eat meat or fish, black gram is rich in protein which is required for strong bones & a healthy body.

Black gram benefits the health as it contains both soluble & insoluble fibre which is good for digestion & also prevents constipation.

Black gram also has various beauty benefits. Applying black gram face packs is good for the skin as it prevents the formation of fine lines. Moreover, black gram also helps get a fair & flawless skin. Having black gram helps increase hair growth as well. You can either have it in your diet or apply a hair mask made with black gram.

Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein.

Kidney beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral component of the enzyme sulphite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulphites. Sulphites are a type of preservative commonly added to prepared foods like delicatessen salads & salad bars. Persons who are sensitive to sulphites in these foods may experience rapid heartbeat, headache or disorientation if sulphites are unwittingly consumed. If you have ever reacted to sulphites, it may be because your molybdenum stores are insufficient to detoxify them.

Kidney beans, like other beans, are rich in soluble & insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that binds with bile (which contains cholesterol) & ferries it out of the body. Insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk & prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) & diverticulosis.

Kidney beans' contribution to heart health lies not just in their fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate & magnesium these beans supply. Folate helps lower levels of homo-cysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. Kidney beans are rich in magnesium, which is Nature's own calcium channel blocker.

In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, kidney beans can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency, boosting iron stores with kidney beans is a good idea - especially because, unlike red meat, another source of iron, kidney beans are low in calories & virtually fat-free.

Thiamine - another "ingredient" in kidney beans - participates in enzymatic reactions central to energy production & is also critical for brain cell/cognitive function. This is because thiamine is needed for the synthesis of acetylcholine, the important neurotransmitter essential for memory & whose lack has been found to be a significant contributing factor in age-related impairment in mental function (senility) & Alzheimer's disease.

Kidney beans are a good source of the trace mineral manganese which is an essential co-factor in a number of enzymes important in energy production & antioxidant defences. For example, the key oxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase, which disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells), requires manganese.

Kidney beans are a good source of protein, & when combined with a whole grain such as whole wheat pasta or brown rice provide protein comparable to that of meat or dairy foods without the high calories or saturated fat found in these foods. A cup of kidney beans provides over 15 grams of protein.