Composition And Health Benefits Of Pulses

Basic Information and The Health Benefits of Pulses

Pulses are the seeds of leguminous plants. They are simply amazing food as they have low fat content and can absorb the aroma and flavor of herbs and spices cooked along with it to get a delectable taste. The health benefits of Pulses include being rich in all the significant nutrients that have been known to prevent several diseases such as heart problems, cancer and obesity. Pulses are rich in fiber and carbs and they are a very rich source of proteins. Pulses can be eaten as an alternative source of protein by the non vegetarians and it is low in fat. Whereas, for vegetarians the health benefits of pulses are an important source of protein. The most commonly used pulses are Bengal gram, green gram, kidney beans and soya beans.

Some facts about the basic composition of pulses:

-Pulses have the same calorific value as that of cereals. However, the protein content and health benefits of pulses are double as that found in cereals.
- The fat content in pulses is almost unnoticeable. It is about 2 grams of fat for 100 grams of pulses.
- The whole pulses are a significant source of Vitamin B complex.
-The amount of iron present in pulses is high. It has about 10.
- Pulses have about 60 grams of carbs for every 100 grams of pulses.
-the amount of calcium present in pulses is about 100 to 200 mg for every 100 grams of pulses.
-pulses have zinc in it which is required for development as well as healing of the wound.
-copper present in pulses is helpful for the hameoglobin production and also helps in transporting iron to the bone marrow for proper production of red blood cells.
-some pulses also have magnesium which helps in reducing blood pressure.

Having the health benefits of pulses is good for everyone. Several ways to eat pulses are:

1. Roasting:Roast the pulses in an iron utensil, that will increase the amount of iron present in pulses. Roasting will also make the protein in the pulses easy to digest by improving the quality of the protein. You can keep roasted chick pea handy and have it like a snack in between two meals to take advantage of the health benefits of pulses.

2. Fermenting:
The grinded pulses are mixed with rice to make Indian snacks like idli, dhoklas, dosa. Fermentation increases the amount of Vitamin B, one of the health benefits of pulses, and it also makes the food easy to digest. People recovering from ailments are given these snacks in India as they are easy to digest.

3. Sprouting:
If you soak the pulses in clean water and germinate them the amount of Vitamin C in pulses is increased. The amount of Vitamin A also increases but on the third day when the shoots change color from yellow to green as the chlorophyll increases. The pulses that are germinated have easy to digest carbohydrates- maltose. Half a cup of sprouts have Vitamin C that is equal to almost six glasses of orange juice. Hence, a bowl full of green gram sprouts is a very healthy snack and it will provide you with a great deal of vitamins and health benefits of pulses as well.

4. Pulses along with vegetables:You can have pulses along with vegetables for a healthy meal filled with minerals, vitamins, and other health benefits of pulses. For example you can make spinach curry and add soyabean or chickpea in it for a delicious and healthy meal.