Healing Foods Database » Lentils

Lentils

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The lentil is an edible legume. It is a bushy annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 40 cm tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. In South Asian cuisine, split lentils are known as dal.

Health Benefits

  • Lentils are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They’re also a great source of plant-based protein and fiber.

  • Lentils are a great source of health-promoting polyphenols, which have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with potential cancer-cell inhibiting effects.

  • Lentils may protect your heart by supporting weight loss, preventing homocysteine accumulation in your body and improving cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

  • Lentils contain antinutrients such as trypsin inhibitors and phytic acid, which reduce the absorption of some nutrients. Soaking and cooking lentils will minimize these, but regardless, you will still absorb the majority of your nutrients.

Nutrition Details

  • Potassium
    • Amount per serving: 731mg
    • Serving size: 1 cup
  • Protein
    • Amount per serving: 18g
    • Serving size: 1 cup
  • Iron
    • Amount per serving: 36%
    • Serving size: 1 cup
  • Vitamin B-6
    • Amount per serving: 20%
    • Serving size: 1 cup
  • Magnesium
    • Amount per serving: 17%
    • Serving size: 1 cup

NaturalHealth365 Articles About (or that mention) "Lentils"

Eating lentils can lower blood sugar levels by more than 20 percent and prevent cancer
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(NaturalHealth365) Replacing starchy carbohydrates like rice and potatoes with lentils could have … Eating lentils can lower blood sugar levels by more than 20 percent and prevent cancer

Sources

Generally, we try to use only the following sources to obtain information for our Healing Foods Database:

Please Note:

We always recommend organic, local foods and all of the information contained in our healing foods database is based on organic varieties of each healing food you find here.

Description Credit: Wikipedia. Wikipedia is used only for general food descriptions and we do not endorse Wikipedia as a source for other health-related information.