Your complete guide to beans and lentils. Nutritional information Beans provide an economical source of vegetable protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber and vitamins. Insoluble fiber is found in peas, beans and lentils, wheat bran, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and breads. Insoluble fiber speeds up the passage of food through the intestine and helps in improving regularity.
Insoluble fiber is believed to have a role in the prevention of colon cancer.
Lentils contain mostly insoluble fiber, while beans and peas contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber stays as a gel inside the digestive system and is thought to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and delay entry of sugar into the blood stream. Folic acid is important at the time of conception and after conception by women and low amounts of folic acid could put the fetus at risk of Neural Tube Defects. Pulses are an excellent source of potassium which contributes to a regular heart beat, regulates transfer of nutrients to cells, controls water balance and helps regulate blood pressure. Pulses are good sources of niacin, thiamin, panthothenic acid and pyridoxine, necessary for healthy brain and nerve cells, for normal functioning of the skin, nerves and digestive system in the chemical reactions of the amino acids and proteins.