What does fact checked mean?
At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- Harvard School of Public Health: What Should You Eat?
- MayoClinic.com; Beans and Other Legumes: Types and Cooking Tips; June 2011
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
What Are the Benefits of Eating Beans & Lentils?
Replacing one or more meals per week with vegetarian options such as beans and lentils can improve your health. Beans and lentils offer protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber with no added fat or cholesterol. Beans and lentils also count toward your daily vegetable servings to support good health.
Vitamins and Minerals
Beans and lentils offer naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, which are better absorbed than nutritional supplements. Beans and lentils offer folate, a B vitamin important to red blood cell functioning and the prevention of specific neural tube birth defects. Beans are also a source of the minerals potassium, iron and magnesium 3. Potassium helps regulate muscle function, including your heart, by keeping your body’s fluid and mineral levels in balance. Iron is essential to energy as it assists your red blood cells transport oxygen throughout your body. Magnesium supports bone health, organ function and energy production.
- Beans and lentils offer naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, which are better absorbed than nutritional supplements.
- Beans and lentils offer folate, a B vitamin important to red blood cell functioning and the prevention of specific neural tube birth defects.
Fiber
Lentil Serving Size
Learn More
Beans are a nutritious, natural source of fiber. One cup of cooked beans or lentils provides between 17 and 18 g of fiber. Fiber assists the transport of food through your digestive tract, supporting colon health and preventing constipation. Fiber also plays a role in healthy cholesterol levels. The Institute of Medicine recommends women consume a minimum of 25 g of fiber daily and men, 38 g daily.
- Beans are a nutritious, natural source of fiber.
- Fiber assists the transport of food through your digestive tract, supporting colon health and preventing constipation.
Protein
Beans and lentils are a vegetarian source of protein. While many animal-based proteins contain saturated fat and cholesterol, which contribute to heart disease, beans and lentils are virtually fat-free. Black beans, for example, contain 14 g of protein per cup while lentils offer 18 g per cup. Protein is a component of every cell in your body and helps support muscle retention and growth.
- Beans and lentils are a vegetarian source of protein.
- While many animal-based proteins contain saturated fat and cholesterol, which contribute to heart disease, beans and lentils are virtually fat-free.
Vegetables
The Nutritional Benefits of Yams
Learn More
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 cup of whole or mashed beans or lentils counts as a serving of vegetables. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables promote good health and reduced risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
Weight Management
The fiber and protein in beans can help you feel satisfied, so you eat fewer calories overall. The lack of saturated fat in beans also makes them friendly to your waistline. One cup of beans or lentils contains between 200 and 230 calories.
Related Articles
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: What Should You Eat?
- MayoClinic.com; Beans and Other Legumes: Types and Cooking Tips; June 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Magnesium
- Lentils, dry, cooked, fat not added in cooking. USDA FoodData Central. Updated April 1, 2019.
- Abeysekara S, Chilibeck PD, Vatanparast H, Zello GA. A pulse-based diet is effective for reducing total and LDL-cholesterol in older adults. Br J Nutr. 2012;108 Suppl 1:S103-10. doi:10.1017/s0007114512000748
- Ganesan K, Xu B. Polyphenol-Rich Lentils and Their Health Promoting Effects. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(11):2390. Published 2017 Nov 10. doi:10.3390/ijms18112390
- Polak R, Phillips EM, Campbell A. Legumes: Health Benefits and Culinary Approaches to Increase Intake. Clin Diabetes. 2015;33(4):198–205. doi:10.2337/diaclin.33.4.198
- Ha V, Sievenpiper J, de Souza R et al. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Can Med Assoc J. 2014;186(8):E252-E262. doi:10.1503/cmaj.131727
- Sievenpiper JL, Kendall CW, Esfahani A, et al. Effect of non-oil-seed pulses on glycaemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled experimental trials in people with and without diabetes. Diabetologia. 2009;52(8):1479-95. doi:10.1007/s00125-009-1395-7
- Rebello CJ, Greenway FL, Finley JW. A review of the nutritional value of legumes and their effects on obesity and its related co-morbidities. Obes Rev. 2014;15(5):392-407. doi:10.1111/obr.12144
- Variety of lentil proteins makes recommendations on avoidance difficult. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Published July 24, 2015.
- Legumes (Including Pulses). Anaphylaxis Campaign. Published March 2019.
- Jensen K, Ni Y, Panagiotou G, Kouskoumvekaki I. Developing a molecular roadmap of drug-food interactions. PLoS Comput Biol. 2015;11(2):e1004048. Published 2015 Feb 10. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004048
- Ndidi US, Ndidi CU, Olagunju A, Muhammad A, Billy FG, Okpe O. Proximate, Antinutrients and Mineral Composition of Raw and Processed (Boiled and Roasted) Sphenostylis stenocarpa Seeds from Southern Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria. ISRN Nutr. 2014;2014:280837. Published 2014 Mar 16. doi:10.1155/2014/280837
- Anti-nutritional Factors. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Before You Toss Food, Wait. Check It Out! U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Writer Bio
Andrea Boldt has been in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. A personal trainer, run coach, group fitness instructor and master yoga teacher, she also holds certifications in holistic and fitness nutrition.