Pulses: What are they, are they even good for you?
THE UN General Assembly (Unga) declared February 10 to be World Pulses Day to build on the success of the International Year of Pulses (IYP) in 2016 that was implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to recognise the potential that pulses have to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This event offers a singular chance to educate the public about pulses and the crucial part they play in the transition to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, and a better environment for future generations.
ProVeg International, a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving food awareness and transforming the global food system by substituting animal-based products with plant-based ones, released the following statement ahead of World Pulses Day.
Pulses are a fantastic method to eat less harmful saturated fat, control your weight, and maintain a healthy digestive system. But most importantly, adopting a healthy lifestyle will lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Pulses can provide the body with the protein it needs to heal itself similar to meat.
What are pulses?
Pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. They are part of the legume family, but the term refers only to dried seeds such as dried peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas. All of these can be sprinkled on salads, added to soups, stews, and curries, or eaten plain as snacks.
Some of Mother Nature's most nutrient-dense plants are the pulses, which include chickpeas, lentils, peas, and beans, as well as soy, peanuts, and many others. Pulses are a cheap source of protein, vitamins, fibre and complex carbohydrates. They are also very beneficial for sustainable agriculture methods.
One of the easiest and most powerful things you can do to protect our already distressed environment is to change your diet.
Legumes and pulses are great for our bodies and the soil.
Pulses are a nutrient-dense staple of the majority of diets worldwide and have been ingested for at least 10 000 years. Pulses are a cheap source of protein, vitamins and fibre. They also include a lot of vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, folate and magnesium.
You may benefit from incorporating pulses into your diet because they contain phytochemicals, saponins and tannins that have anticancer and antioxidant properties.
The regular use of legumes and pulses is advised by nearly all national dietary recommendations around the world.
They serve as the framework for food, nutrition, health and agriculture policies, as well as for programmes that foster healthy diets and lifestyles.
In addition to their health benefits and multiple applications in cooking, pulses and legumes are also very useful for sustainable agricultural practices.
Legumes are good candidates for regenerative organic agriculture as they produce several different compounds that feed soil microbes and benefit soil health, especially considering that soil quality plays a crucial role in food quality and quantity.
Pulses are one of the highest fibre foods — just one portion of pulses provides about a third of the fibre you need for the entire day. — IOL FOOD