Legumes are a food that has been considered poor for too long but is actually a precious source of carbohydrates, proteins and micronutrients , so much so that it is legitimately considered a complete meal. Lentils, chickpeas and beans are typical of our tradition and consumed at least twice a week, in rotation, they are all good and allow our body to fill up with very precious nutrients . In particular, the former are considered the oldest legume consumed by man and among the pods, the most easily digestible. They are a real panacea for our digestive system and an excellent food for controlling blood cholesterol values.
Chickpeas, on the other hand, deserve a special mention as champions of adequate blood glucose levels as well as benefits for heart circulation thanks to their discrete magnesium intake.
Consuming legumes on a regular basis is a healthy habit but also an important step towards more sustainable diets capable of reducing the environmental impact of intensive farming. Unlike other types of crops, legumes are in fact the only ones able to find the nitrogen they need to grow from the air and a pilot project conducted in Scotland has shown that the introduction of legumes in crop rotation has reduced the need for nitrogen from outside almost half, while maintaining unchanged the production of food intended for human consumption.
Doctor Pietro Senette – Nutritionist
