Heart Disease and Legumes

There is very good evidence that eating legumes lowers the risk for heart disease. Research by a group looking at almost 10,000 men published in November 2001 showed that even one serving of lentils or chick peas a week lowers the risk of heart disease. And the best part is that the more you eat, the lower the risk. Eating legumes 4 times or more per week reduces the risk of heart disease by as much as 22%. Read More "The Health of It All..." Articles

More Articles on Legumes

Elements of the Mediterranean Diet: Legumes
In botany the term legume has two meanings. Legume is a species of plant but the term also refers to any fruit that develops seeds lined up in a pod (most often the pod splits open down a seam on one side like "peas in a pod"). Legumes are also known as Pulses.

Ingredient Information: Legumes
As with the wide variety of cabbages you can find in the market there are lots of different legumes (some of which you probably didn't think were related to each other).

What are legumes, and why are they good for you?
Legumes are full of protein and fiber, but most of their calories come from carbohydrates. Because they are starches it makes it easy to make them part of your meals in place of pasta, rice or potatoes.

Slim Your Waist with Whole Grains and Legumes
I've said for years that the most important factor in weight loss is the number of calories you eat versus the number of calories you burn. That said, we also know that some foods are more filling and satisfying than others, which is just one explanation for why those who eat more whole grains tend to gain less weight over the years. Further, those who eat more legumes seem to have a lower Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR).

Legumes Really Satisfy
Legumes, which include beans (such as red beans, navy beans, soy beans), lentils, peas, and edible pods (such as okra, snap peas and snow peas) are one of the nine tenets of the Mediterranean Diet. We know that adding legumes to your diet helps you reduce your risk of heart disease and colon cancer, helps improve cholesterol scores, and can even help you improve your blood pressure. They're high in fiber, which makes them especially satisfying, and we know that more fiber in your diet can help you avoid gaining weight (Bite, 07/12/06).