Eating legumes may lower the risk of type 2 Diabetics

New research shows that a high consumption of legumes significantly reduces the risk of developing the disease. Legumes are a food group rich in B vitamins, contain different beneficial minerals (calcium, potassium and magnesium) and sizeable amounts of fibre. Legumes are a very healthy food because it is low in fat and high in protein. Legume family consist of beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, soybeans etc. They contain a variety of phytochemicals - bioactive compounds that further improve the body's metabolism and have been suggested to protect against heart disease and diabetes. researchers from the URV's Human Nutrition Unit in collaboration with other research groups in the PREDIMED study analyzed the association between the consumption of the different sub-types of non-soy legumes and the risk of type 2 diabetes among individuals at high cardiovascular risk. The study also analyzes the effects of substituting legumes with other foods rich in proteins and carbohydrates, and the findings were published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. After 4 years of follow-up,it was revealed that individuals with a higher consumption of legume had a 35% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, expecially a particular legume known as lentils. Those participants who had a higher consumption of lentils during the follow-up (nearly 1 serving/week) compare to those individuals with a lower consumption (less than half a serving per week), had a 33% lower risk of developing the disease. The researchers also found that the effect of replacing half a serving/day of foods rich in protein or carbohydrates, including eggs, bread, rice and baked potato, for half a serving/day of legumes was also associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes incidence. The researchers highlight the importance of consuming legumes to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, but state that further research must be conducted in other populations to confirm these results. Sources: medicalxpress medicalnewstoday