This cheap and accessible food is also a great source of protein and fibre, he said.
A food expert has urged people to add more of a certain “magical” food to their meals, claiming they can boost gut health and even protect the heart against disease. Professor Tim Spector, the founder of Zoe Health, explained some of the benefits of legumes.
Legumes are technically the dry fruit of plants of the legume family. But you will know them better as the group of foods that include pulses, beans, chickpeas, lentils and others.
They are often used as a source of protein in plant-based meals as an alternative to meat and other animal products. However, they are more than just a tasty addition to dishes.
Posting on Instagram, Tim explained: “Legumes are a magical food. Not only for our health but also the health of our gut microbes and of our planet.
“Researching for my latest book I spent a long time writing about always affordable and (once you know how to cook them) delicious ingredients and as a result eat them now more than ever. They’re packed full of protein, fibre for your gut microbes, polyphenols and as the rhyme goes, there is even evidence that they really are good for your heart.”
He referenced a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which found that replacing a serving of white rice in a meal with beans reduced blood pressure and cholesterol. Study authors said that doing so was associated with a 35 percent lower risk of metabolic syndrome – a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
They concluded: “Increasing the ratio of beans to white rice, or limiting the intake of white rice by substituting beans, may lower cardiometabolic risk factors.” Separate research, published in the Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases journal, found that eating 400 grams of legumes a week could boost heart health.
It said: “The intake of legumes was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, but not with stroke, among individuals with the highest consumption levels. An intake level of 400 grams a week seemed to provide the optimal cardiovascular benefit.”
Tim added that legumes are a more sustainable protein source for the planet. He said: “Legumes are believed to be crucial in ensuring food security since they are a critical and inexpensive source of plant-based protein and since they are able to biologically fix nitrogen and free soil-bound phosphorus, they play a key role in climate change adaptation.”
