The pros and cons of eating legumes

Legumes are packed full of nutrients, but must be eaten and cooked with care. Here are some ways to get the most good from your legumes, and avoid the bad.

• Legumes are among our most nutritious plant foods. They're high in protein, B-complex vitamins and minerals.
• Legumes also contain large amounts of fibre, including soluble fibre, which helps control cholesterol.
• Studies have shown that people who eat more legumes have a lower risk of heart disease.
• Legumes are also good for a diabetic diet. Their balance of complex carbohydrates and protein provides a slow, steady source of glucose.
• Most legumes are low in calories and fat.

Legumes contain phytochemicals with a number of disease-fighting properties. These include:

• Isoflavones, which protect against heart disease and cancer.
• Saponins, which help lower cholesterol.
• Phytosterols, which have anticancer and cholesterol-lowering properties.

• Legumes harbour a number of toxins that interfere with the absorption of vitamins.
• Soybeans contain substances that interfere with the absorption of beta carotene and vitamins B12 and D.
• Beans and peas have an anti-vitamin E compound.
• Heating and cooking inactivates most of these substances.
• To compensate for vitamin loss, balance legume consumption with a well-rounded diet that's high in beta-carotene and vitamins B12 and E.

• People with gout should forgo dried peas and beans, lentils and other legumes because of their high purine content.
• Some people of Mediterranean or Asian descent carry a gene that makes them susceptible to favism. This is a severe type of anemia that's contracted from eating fava beans.
• Some legumes, especially peanuts, trigger an allergic reaction or migraine headaches in susceptible people.
• If you have such allergies, eliminate the offending foods from your diet.

• Dried beans, lentils and peas are notorious for causing flatulence.
• To help mitigate the issue, change the water several times ­ during soaking and cooking. Lentils don't need to be soaked, but rinsing them after cooking lowers the gas factor.
• Always rinse canned beans and chickpeas.
• Combining cooked legumes with an acidic food may reduce gas production.
• Herbs like lemon balm, fennel and caraway, can help prevent flatulence.

Legumes are packed full of certain nutrients but must be eaten and cooked with care.