Lentils have been known to mankind since time immemorial. Mention of her dates back to 2000 BC. e. It is believed that the first lentils appeared in West Asia. This is a grassy annual plant belonging to the legume family, cultivated by humans along with wheat, peas and barley. Eat the seeds in the form of a regular lens.
The nutritional value
There are many varieties of lentils. They differ mainly in the color of the seeds: from almost white to black. Cooked seeds of any sort taste similar to each other. Lentils are usually served as a side dish for meat or fish dishes, also in soups, salads, meatballs, cereals. The rich composition allows you to use the product as a standalone dish, for example, people who are vegetarian.
The composition of lentil beans is truly unique and allows a person to get good nutrition with minimal financial costs. The product is especially appreciated for the presence of protein in it, which is easier to digest than animal proteins. Also the presence of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated acids and the large specific gravity of complex carbohydrates allows you to attribute lentils to dietetic products that promote weight loss.
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100 g of lentils contain 295 kcal, as well as:
- fats - 1.5 g;
- proteins - 24 g;
- carbohydrates - 46.3 g;
- fiber - 3.7 g.
Important! Eating 100 g of boiled lentils covers the daily intake of iron in the body. This is especially true during pregnancy, when you want to avoid taking medications.
The benefits and harms of consumption
Beans are a complete diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Their benefit for the human body cannot be overestimated.
Any lentil is an environmentally friendly product. Her grains do not absorb harmful substances from the environment.
- Eating lentil grains has a beneficial effect on many organs and systems:
- It allows you to build muscle tissue, this contributes to a large percentage of easily digestible protein.
- Heals the heart muscle and blood vessels - magnesium and potassium helps to dilate blood vessels and strengthen the heart muscle, vitamin B9 helps to make the walls of blood vessels strong and elastic, a large amount of fiber removes “bad” cholesterol from the body and prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques.
- With diabetes, it can slow down the absorption of glucose and its conversion into fat, as complex carbohydrates are processed for a long time.
- Improves brain activity, increases concentration and memory due to the presence of a large number of B vitamins.
- Favorably affects intestinal motility and liver, eliminating constipation and removing toxins from the body.
- The presence of iron helps to increase hemoglobin in a natural way with anemia, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
- Promotes skin rejuvenation due to the presence of folic acid.
- Selenium inhibits cancer.
- Calcium, phosphorus, omega-3 and omega-6 improve the quality of the nail plates and hairline, are useful for brittle bones.
- Tryptophan contained in grains helps women cope with PMS and improves mood.
- Like any other food, beans can not only benefit, but also harm a person:
- The presence of fiber and complex carbohydrates can lead to bloating, flatulence and pain in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Purine, which is part of the seeds, contributes to the accumulation of urea, which complicates the work of the kidneys and can lead to inflammatory processes in the joint bags.
- Lysine can cause urolithiasis, as it builds up in the body.
- Potassium with excessive consumption negatively affects the work of the heart, leads to numbness of the limbs.
- May be the cause of allergic reactions.
Did you know? Lentils got their name from the Latin word, which means "lens".
Is it possible to eat lentils with gout?
As mentioned above, grains have a rich chemical composition, contain a huge amount of vitamins and minerals. Not all of them are safe to eat with a disease such as gout. Gout is a consequence of a violation of the uric acid metabolism. Urea salts - urates, are deposited in the joints, leading to deformation and sharp pain during the period of exacerbation.
Eating lentils to patients with gout should be ruled out. The product contributes to the accumulation of uric acid and, accordingly, directly provokes exacerbation of gout.
Contraindications
Knowing the properties of the product, you can understand in which cases it is useful, and in which its use, on the contrary, is contraindicated.
- Contraindications to eating lentils include:
- exacerbation of gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, colitis, enteritis, inflammation of the intestine;
- cholecystitis;
- pancreatitis
- urolithiasis;
- hemorrhoids;
- hypotension;
- gout;
- uric acid diathesis.
In general, beans should not be eaten during exacerbation of any chronic diseases, because their digestion gives a strong load on the digestive tract, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and this is extremely undesirable in acute periods.
Lentils are considered the oldest culture discovered by archaeologists. A man many centuries before our time rightfully appreciated her ability to quickly and efficiently bring satiety, help with many ailments.
Important! Raw grains of lentils are poisonous to humans, it is impossible to eat them. To eliminate toxic substances, it is enough to soak the product or heat it.
Nowadays, this plant is not used in cooking as often as wheat or barley. It should be noted that in the absence of contraindications, beans can become the basis of delicious dishes, despite the fact that their cost is quite low.
