The label “superfood” is used to describe foods that contain an unusually high density of nutrients and offer a variety of remarkable health benefits.
Legumes, which include peanuts, peas, beans, soybeans, chickpeas, and lentils, are considered “superfoods” because they are packed with vitamins and minerals that your body needs to thrive. They’re an excellent way to increase your fiber intake, and one of the best non-animal sources of protein. Because they’re a source of Foundation Supplements, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, and several other legumes are listed as Foundation Foods. They provide your body with the resources to reverse osteoporosis.
Read on to learn more about what legumes can do, and to receive two delicious legume-based soup recipes.
Legumes: A Superfood With Lots To Offer
Legumes are the seeds of plants that belong to the Fabaceae or Leguminosae family. There are many types of legumes that differ in appearance, taste, and nutrients. Except for lima beans, legumes are acidifying, but their rich micronutrient content makes them part of a bone-healthy diet when balanced with alkalizing foods.
Pretty much anything with the “bean” word in the name is a legume. That includes favorites such as black beans, fava beans, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, and chickpeas (garbanzo beans), just to name a few. Lentils are technically a type of bean, though they are often thought of as their own category. There are many types of lentils, usually categorized by their color: red, green, brown, and black are quite common.
Legumes’ superfood status is easy to justify. They provide fiber, protein, carbohydrates, B vitamins, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and phosphorous. They’re low in fat, cholesterol-free, high in fiber, and high in protein. They also have a low glycemic load, helping to regulate blood sugar levels.
Here are the top benefits of eating a diet rich in legumes:
- Helps prevent Type 2 Diabetes because of its positive effect on blood glucose levels.1
- Lowers total and LDL cholesterol levels, improving heart health.2
- Prevents hypertension by providing potassium, magnesium, and fiber, which have been shown to have a positive impact on blood pressure management.3
- Assists with weight control because the fiber, protein, and slowly digested carbohydrates in legumes help you to feel full sooner and for longer. Studies found that legume consumers are less likely to be obese than non-consumers.4
Synopsis
Legumes are a plant food that offers a range of health benefits, many of which stem from their high nutritional content and low glycemic load.
Legumes For Bone Health
Legumes are excellent for your bones because of the nutrients they provide. For example, in a single cup of a cooked lima beans there are 15 important nutrients, including calcium, zinc, copper, B Vitamins, and Vitamin K.
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Here are some bone-healthy traits of two delicious legumes: lima beans and lentils:
The manganese in lima beans creates superoxide dismutase, the anti-inflammatory antioxidant.
One cup of lentils contains 3 times the daily value of molybdenum, which regulates copper levels, and is another component of superoxide dismutase.
Both lima beans and lentils are great sources of fiber, which helps to regulate digestion, absorbs and eliminates toxins, and aids in liver health.5
Lima beans and lentils are sources of folate (Vitamin B9), which turns bone weakening homocysteine into amino acids.6
The protein in lentils and lima beans is important for diets with reduced meat consumption. Protein is necessary for building strong muscles that in turn stimulate bone growth.
Get these benefits by incorporating legumes into your diet now, and to make it easier, we share with you these two comforting soup recipes below.
Synopsis
Lentils and lima beans are both legumes, and both offer a variety of bone-health benefits.
Bone-Healthy Bean Soup
100% Alkalizing
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 cups lima beans, cooked
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- sea salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons plain unsweetened yogurt for topping (optional)
Directions:
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.
- Add carrot onion, and celery, and cook stirring until onion turns translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add beans, broth, salt, pepper, and herbs. Set heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Serve and top with a dollop of yogurt, if desired.
Lentil Veggie Soup
pH-Balanced
4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 4 cups kale, chopped small
- 3 garlic cloves
- 5 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large pot. Add the celery, garlic, onion, and carrot. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add broth, lentils, tomatoes, kale, thyme, marjoram, sea salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower temperature to a simmer.
- Cover and cook until the lentils are soft, approximately 45 minutes. Add more broth if necessary.
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Legumes are a healthy choice for reversing osteoporosis and are a versatile food available in a variety of forms. Make legumes a part of your regular bone-building diet to reap all the benefits these power-packed foods have to offer.
References:
1 Ley SH, Hamdy O, Mohan V, Hu FB “Prevention and management of type 2 diabetes: dietary components and nutritional strategies.” Lancet. 2014 Jun 7; 383(9933):1999-2007. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4751088/
2 Bazzano LA, Thompson AM, Tees MT, Nguyen CH, Winham DM. “Non-soy legume consumption lowers cholesterol levels: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Feb; 21(2):94-103. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19939654
3 Ascherio A, et al. “A prospective study of nutritional factors and hypertension among US men.” Circulation. 1992 Nov; 86(5):1475-84. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1330360
4 Papanikolaou Y, Fulgoni VL 3rd “Bean consumption is associated with greater nutrient intake, reduced systolic blood pressure, lower body weight, and a smaller waist circumference in adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002.” J Am Coll Nutr. 2008 Oct; 27(5):569-76. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18845707
5 Rani Polak, et al. “Legumes: Health Benefits and Culinary Approaches to Increase Intake.” Clin Diabetes. 2015 Oct; 33(4): 198–205. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4608274/
6 LeBoff, Meryl S., et al. “Homocysteine Levels and Risk of Hip Fracture in Postmenopausal Women.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2009; 94(4): 1207-1213. Web. https://kooperberg.fhcrc.org/papers/2009leboff.pdf
Vivian, I have been on the Saveourbones for about 3 years. I am inquiring about a tomato dish I think I got from you. It has fresh tomatoes, oilve oil, vegetable stock, onion, garlic, one of the following, cumin, curry powder or turmeric, I do not remember which, and as I recall, one grated carrot, and a chopped red pepper and I don’t remember if there was anything else. It is served over cooked quinoa. Do you have a recipe like this,if so, could you tell,me where to find it. I have tried searching your recipes and cannot find it. Thank you. I enjoy the saveourbones very much.
Mary
Vivian, what do you recommend for leg and foot cramps. These are quite painful. Thank you.
I have leg and feet cramps, mostly at night. What do you suggest?
Hi,
Lovely soups! I just got diagnosed (46 years) and I find the diet advices to be the most confusing. Have been eating superhealthy and balanced (thouh no red meat) with at least one meal containing protein from legumes/bean instead of animal protein. Now some tell me to drop all foods with phytic acid which is found in legumes and beans (even after soaking and cooking). The doctors just say Calcium and estrogen… Would love to continue eating my beans and making these soups but get confused… Thanks for all the great articles and for sharing your knowledge!
Thank you for all the bone healthy recipes! I enjoy them. It would be so helpful if you could add a “print here” icon on your recipes for those of us who would like hard copies. Thank you so much for all you do to help us all with a natural protocol for bone health!
The pumpkin smoothie at noon daily has totally eliminated my problem with severe constipation.
Thanks so much.
Have everything in my press except veg broth for bean soup.Dont want to by veg broth in a can is there any thing else I can use instead of making my own.
Regards Joan
Joan, you can get organic vegetable broth in a Tetra Pack, which is BPA free 🙂
A that’s great Vivian thank you.
Just got your cookbook! Can’t wait to try some recipes. In the recipes that call for flour- what’s the substitution formula for using almond flour instead of wheat? How does gluten free bread or pasta
fit into the 80/20 ratio? Thanks.
Susan, you can certainly replace wheat flour with almond flour. And feel free to use gluten-free breads and pasta as well. Enjoy!