Legumes are healthy foods. Beans, lentils, peas and peanuts are some of the most common types of legumes. One reason these legumes are healthy is because they contain fiber and resistant starches that cannot be broken down by the digestive system. This reduces the amount of calories absorbed by our body and slows down the absorption process. They also keep the glycemic load lower which helps prevent diabetes. Both of these effects help prevent weight gain. For example, anyone can eat as many beans or legumes as they want and the good news is that they don’t have to worry about gaining weight. When legumes are eaten, they make you feel full for a long time. This prevents you from getting hungry too soon and eating unhealthy foods that you crave. By helping to prevent weight gain and by keeping the glycemic load low, legumes help prevent diabetes.
Beans are the most common type of legume.
Legumes protect our body from cancer also. Studies show that eating legumes decreases the risk of cancer by 38%! Eating legumes helps feed the healthy bacteria in our gut. These bacteria can convert the resistant starch and fiber into anti-cancer compounds in our intestines. These compounds protect us against colon cancer, the third most common cancer in the US. Studies show that eating legumes at least twice a week decreases the risk of colon cancer by 50%!
Dr. Fuhrman recommends eating legumes every day. This can include eating beans, lentils, split peas, soybeans, and even peanuts every day. If you are new to eating beans, he recommends starting out with a small amount and gradually increasing the amount of beans you eat while chewing well. This helps decrease the amount of gas that your body produces. Once you get used to it, you should eat legumes every day so you can live a long and healthy life.
CRG
Sources:
www.drfuhrman.com/library/beans_the_ideal_carbohydrate.aspx
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