To eat healthier this summer, think about legumes

A recent scientific synthesis confirms the benefits of lentils, chickpeas and beans for health and the environment.

Only one in two French people eat legumes at least once a week. However, this is a good habit that is confirmed by 30 studies published around the world on these dried vegetables. American and Chinese researchers have synthesized them and highlight several health benefits.

Regular consumption of legumes helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by acting on blood sugar and the absorption of sugars by the body. It also reduces the risk of having bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, or being overweight by acting on the satiety effect. These effects have been measured on different populations, in the United States, South America, Canada, China, Iran, and Spain, during follow-ups that ranged from 4 to 13 years.

In the studies in question, depending on the country, people ate legumes from twice a week to every day, either instead of meat, because of their protein content, or as a supplement. Positive effects appeared in all cases. In France, there is an official recommendation from the Ministry of Health: consume dried vegetables (beans, lentils, beans, split peas, chickpeas, etc.) at least twice a week. Recipes are even provided on the website.

Furthermore, other studies have highlighted an environmental benefit because these plant proteins require five to 10 times less land and water resources to be produced compared to proteins from pork, chicken or beef. Their cultivation also emits five to 10 times less greenhouse gases and it allows for reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides by improving crop rotations.

With so many positive points, one might wonder why legumes are not more popular with consumers. It is clearly a question of reputation and habits because this has not always been the case. In France, the consumption of dried vegetables was 7 kg per person per year a century ago. This is five times more than today.