Now that we are in the middle of summer, the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN) reminds us that legumes are one of the main vegetable sources of protein, which makes them an interesting option for all audiences.

But despite its benefits and the numerous presentations that can be consumed, the truth is that legumes, both summer, and winter, do not like all palates.

In fact, its consumption has registered a notable decrease, reaching over 70% in the last 40 years, as indicated by the data of the Food Consumption Panel.

Legumes: myths and mistakes

In addition, there are many myths and errors that surround this staple of the Mediterranean diet, and in its latest report on legumes, nutrition and health, the FEN lists and disputes:

• Fattening:  Legumes themselves are not responsible for the high caloric level of the dishes, but the accompaniments such as sausage, blood sausage, ribs, refried … in addition to the size of the ration consumed.
• They do not provide important nutrients:  This is false since legumes provide protein, B vitamins and minerals (iron, magnesium, zinc). In addition, the vast majority also have a high content of food fiber.
• They cannot be eaten by diabetics:  Legumes contain complex carbohydrates of slow digestion, so they release blood glucose gradually. By containing food fiber, it will be released even more slowly. Therefore, diabetics can take them without any problem.
• Lentils contain a lot of iron:  It is true that lentils are a portion of food with high iron content, but in terms of quality, it must be taken into account that the absorption of this mineral is less than iron of animal origin.
• Red beans are more nutritious than white beans:  This is not true. If we compare the composition of both foods, we will verify that the nutritional value is identical or very similar. The only difference is regarding the organoleptic qualities.- Are dried legumes better than canned ones?

They provide a lot of fat On average they contribute on average per 100 grams, only 3 grams of fat and they are mostly unsaturated fatty acids that provide benefits, so we can deny this myth.

Legumes in summer: nutritional composition

Regarding its nutritional composition, the FEN details that in general they are very complete foods, and in its composition, practically all the nutrients are included:

• Energy: Its energy content is about 350 kcal / 100 g of raw food, the cooking method will determine the final value of the dish.
• Water:  They have very little water, ranges between 1.7 and 14%, with the exception of fresh or canned legumes.
• P proteins:  Its contribution in proteins stands out (19% -36%), its high content in the majority of legume species makes this family the main source of vegetable protein for man.

The protein they contain is of good quality, close to those of animal origin, but limited in sulfur amino acids such as methionine and cysteine ​​and standing out in lysine (unlike cereals).

The traditional dishes of our gastronomy are a clear example of the empirical application of the phenomenon of protein complementation since they include legumes together with cereals improving the quality of the protein consumed.

• Carbohydrates  This food group has as its main macronutrient carbohydrates, mainly in the form of starch, followed by oligosaccharides (raffinose and stachyose). These are slowly digested carbohydrates, so they release blood glucose gradually.

• Food fiber  Legumes, in general, are beneficial because of their high fiber content. Soluble fiber is digested at the level of the colon by bacterial flora, releasing various short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate.

Insoluble fiber, which is found to a lesser extent than soluble fiber, causes intestinal transit to increase and not being digested by flora, which does not cause flatulence.

• Fats Its percentage of the fat fraction is very low compared to other macronutrients (3% on average) and is characterized by a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid 18: 2 n-6 and α-linolenic acid 18: 3 n-3) and monounsaturated (oleic acid, 18: 1 n-9).

Like the rest of the foods of plant, origin does not contain cholesterol.

• Vitamins and minerals In minerals, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and iron stand out, although the latter two are of worse absorption than that of food of animal origin.

In vitamins, it is content in vitamin B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), B6 ​​and folates are interesting, especially in chickpeas.

Against climate change

And for those who dare to eat more vegetables in summer, it is good to know that they also have a great variety of phenolic compounds, such as condensed tannins or phytoestrogens.

Among them, in the legumes, we find hydroxybenzoic acids, aldehydes, hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives, flavonols and isoflavones glycosides (daidzein and genistein).

In addition, they contain phytoestrogens, the most common being isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, glycerin) and coumestrol.

They also include less desirable components such as oligosaccharides, responsible for flatulence, phytic acid, and enzyme inhibitors.

This is due to the fact that they fix the nitrogen to the soil where they are grown and once they are harvested they do not need processing or refrigeration for their conservation, thus reducing the consumption of natural resources.