The importance of consuming legumes in all seasons of the year.
Drs. Ludovica Di Leo and Giorgia Zullo
With the arrival of spring, we want to leave winter behind with its soups and "hot" foods. How do you encourage your patients to consume legumes in all seasons?
Legumes are among the few foods that are seasonal, we might say, almost year-round, and given their countless beneficial properties for our body, consuming them at least 3-4 times a week, regardless of the months of the year, would be a good and proper thing. Fortunately, legumes are versatile in the kitchen, making them suitable for both sweet and savory preparations, both quick and convenient, and also elaborate and unique. Our patients know this well, as their personalized meal plans always include slightly different ideas for incorporating them into their diets with imagination and variety. Just think of beans, chickpeas, but also lentils and peas. Or even savory crepes filled with raw or cooked seasonal vegetables and served with spicy sauces. In the summer, however, green light is given to "zero-sfuzza" salads with legumes, practical to take to the beach or on outdoor mountain hikes. "Hiding" legumes in more visually appealing and colorful dishes than traditional soups can also be a fun and tasty way to introduce them to children or anyone who has difficulty eating them because they're perhaps unaccustomed to eating them.
It is true that thelegumes are proteinwithout bad cholesterol? Can we say that they are a valid substitute for meat and that sometimes they provide more protein than the latter? Let's dispel the myth that you necessarily have to eat meat to get a good protein intake?
Absolutely yes. Being a plant-based food, they are practically cholesterol-free, making them excellent for preventing cardiovascular and endocrine disorders. They are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and protein, but before making the comparison with meat, a small clarification is in order. Proteins are typically classified as low, medium, and high biological value proteins based on their completeness in terms of essential amino acids, the building blocks of which they are made and which humans cannot synthesize endogenously but must obtain through diet. Unlike meat, which is classified as a high biological value protein source, legumes are identified as a medium biological value protein source because they do not provide all the essential amino acids. For this reason, to complete the amino acid profile, it is often recommended to combine them with a source of complex carbohydrates such as cereals, pasta, or bread, so that the amino acid content of each can fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces with the amino acid content of the others, thus completing the protein profile. In an omnivorous diet, it is also possible to avoid always ensuring this combination in the same meal because any essential amino acids that may be missing can be easily ensured with the other meals of the day with animal protein sources. For those who follow an almost exclusively plant-based diet, however, our advice remains to always create a single dish combining legumes with grains, thus ensuring the right amount of protein for your needs.
Among the main characteristics of legumes, their high fiber content certainly stands out, which stimulates intestinal function and increases the feeling of satiety. So are legumes good for you and allow us to stay fit? Can they combat emotional hunger?
Yes, legumes are excellent allies at the table, especially during low-calorie diets where the ultimate goal is weight loss. Their high fiber content brings with it a series of beneficial effects: first and foremost, a prolonged feeling of satiety, which helps prevent hunger from setting in shortly after finishing a meal. This is because fiber, due to its chemical structure, tends to attract more water, increasing the volume of food ingested and slowing digestion and gastric emptying. But the benefits of adequate and regular consumption of fiber-rich foods like legumes don't stop there. Fiber also slows and limits the absorption of sugars and fats in the intestine;
This translates into better glycemic control in both healthy individuals and those with diabetes or insulin resistance, and more balanced intestinal peristalsis. This is essential for maintaining healthy bacterial flora, preventing the accumulation and stasis of potentially toxic substances, and thus preventing the onset of cancer.
There's a reason why many people give up on legumes: the bloating and fermentation that causes gas. Is this really the high price we pay, or isn't it always the case?
Unfortunately, it's true that legumes, being rich in poorly digestible fiber, can cause abdominal bloating secondary to excessive fermentation and therefore intestinal gas production. However, this, in reality, occurs especially in particularly sensitive and predisposed individuals and in those who, perhaps precisely to avoid the feeling of a bloated stomach, give up legumes and consume them only sporadically. Yes, the less legumes you consume, the greater the intestinal discomfort you will experience when you consume them. This is because the intestinal microbiota bacteria have not been properly trained to digest the cellulose surrounding the legume, which means it lingers in the intestines for a long time, causing uncontrolled gas production. Our advice, in cases like this, is to gradually reintroduce legumes into your weekly diet, giving your gut flora time to learn to break down the fiber without causing any major problems. Legumes are a veritable treasure trove of nutrients essential for the body's well-being—a true superfood, we might say—so it's absolutely inadvisable to give them up altogether. There are various methods that can be helpful in making them more digestible: you can consume them hulled, meaning they have already had their outer skin removed, or you can remove it yourself using a food mill. Furthermore, it is recommended to soak them in plenty of cold, unsalted water for at least 12 hours before cooking and then proceed with cooking, taking advantage of the carminative power of some aromatic herbs such as bay leaves.
There are numerous scientific studies demonstrating that the intake of llegumiprevents obesity, diabetes, tumors of the intestinal tract and numerous cardiovascular diseases*. What do you think? Have you encountered any evidence of this in your career?
Absolutely yes. Metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, but also tumors and cardiovascular diseases are all accompanied by a systemic inflammatory condition in the body, which in turn, in the long run, can cause further damage to the functionality of many organs and tissues. It follows that, in cases like these, an anti-inflammatory nutritional approach is the best dietary strategy for achieving tangible results in the short and long term. And what better anti-inflammatory protocol than the Mediterranean diet, which recommends consuming legumes practically every day? Many of our patients with impaired metabolic conditions have achieved, following an increase in legume consumption, improved glycemic control, a reduction in total blood cholesterol, particularly LDL cholesterol, and an improvement in their overall hormonal balance. Even female patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, often associated with insulin resistance, have not only reduced their highly dangerous visceral fat thanks to a more regular consumption of legumes, but have also reported a significant improvement in both premenstrual and menstrual pain. All this only confirms how important and "miraculous" legumes are both in the management of full-blown diseases and in a preventative phase.
Your social media profiles have tons of recipes, food blogger-proof. What's your favorite legume recipe?
Can you suggest a recipe to our readers?
Sure, we'll leave you the recipe for some Cannellini Bean and Sweet Potato Meatballs are super simple to prepare and can be kept for a few days. For about 10 meatballs:
- 250 g steamed sweet potatoes (approximately 1 medium potato)
- 2 egg whites or 1 egg
- Breadcrumbs and spices to taste for coating.
First, cook the cannellini beans with a bay leaf, after soaking them for at least 12 hours in cold water. Meanwhile, steam or bake the potatoes after carefully washing and peeling them. Mash them with a fork, add the cooked beans, and blend everything with an immersion blender. Add spices to taste, shape the meatballs with lightly oiled hands, then dip them in egg whites (or whole eggs) and then in breadcrumbs. Cook the meatballs in a nonstick pan with a drizzle of oil, making sure to turn them on all sides. Serve with plenty of seasonal vegetables, seasoned to taste, and you're done. A beautiful, colorful, economical, balanced, and super filling dish. *More information: https://www.elle.com/it/salute/alimentazione/a39500262/legumi-benefici/ https://www.humanitasalute.it/alimentazione/93910-perche-i-legumi-fanno-cosi-bene/
