What are legumes, and why are they so good for you?

“Legumes” refers to a whole family of plants, but people typically mean the edible pods or seeds, which include pulses, beans, and peas.

They’re good for your gut — and research suggests that legumes may also improve your cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of long-term health conditions, and help with weight management.

Legumes contain proteins called lectins, which some people are worried about. However, legumes are perfectly safe to eat and are extremely good for you.

Here, we explore the health benefits of legumes, which plant foods belong to this family, and how to add them to your diet.

Health benefits

Legumes are highly nutritious, and there are many kinds, so they can increase the diversity of plants in your diet.

Eating a wide range of different plants can help support your gut microbiome, the community of bacteria in your gut. Having a healthy gut microbiome is important for many aspects of your health.

Below, we take a closer look at the specific benefits that legumes can provide.

Improved cholesterol levels

Regularly eating legumes may improve your cholesterol levels by small but significant amounts in a relatively short time.

On average, in people with a legume-rich diet, LDL cholesterol levels fell by 8.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 0.44 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).

Also, levels of total cholesterol fell by 11.8 mg/dL (0.65 mmol/L) in participants with the legume-rich diet, compared with the control diet.

Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease 

Eating plenty of legumes may lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The more legumes participants ate, up to around 400 grams per week, the lower the risk of these diseases.

Help with weight management 

Another review of studies suggests that eating 1 serving of pulses — like beans, chickpeas, or lentils — every day could help you lose weight. 

After 6 weeks, the participants on the diet with pulses lost 0.34 more kilograms of weight, on average, compared with the other participants.

This held true even when the pulse diets weren’t low in calories, suggesting that eating more pulses could be a healthy, nonrestrictive way to manage your weight. 

Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes

One study followed more than 3,300 people over several years. The results suggest that eating legumes — lentils, in particular — could help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

And for older adults with a high risk of cardiovascular disease, the Mediterranean diet may offer some protection against type 2 diabetes. This stems from the diet being rich in   legumes.

Reduced risk of colon cancer 

A range of studies looked at legume consumption in a total of 1.9 million people over several years. 

An analysis found that people who ate the most legumes had a lower risk of developing colon cancer.

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Nutrition

Legumes are rich in protein and a good source of fiber, healthy fats, and slow-release carbohydrates. They’re also rich in polyphenols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Legumes contain B vitamins and minerals, like:

• calcium

• chromium

• copper

• iron

• magnesium

• phosphorus

• potassium

• selenium

• zinc

All legumes can contribute to a healthy diet, but their nutritional profiles vary. The table below shows the profiles for chickpeas, peanuts, and green peas.

27 types of legumes

There are almost 23,000 species of legumes, though some are inedible.

Plus, some species, like lentils, have several varieties. You can buy others in different forms, such as whole and split peas.

Here’s a list of legumes to try:

1. adzuki beans

2. black beans (black turtle beans)

3. black-eyed beans

4. cannellini beans (white beans)

5. chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

6. cranberry beans (borlotti beans)

7. fava beans (broad beans)

8. flageolet beans

9. green beans (string beans or fine beans)

10. red kidney beans

11. yellow kidney beans

12. beluga lentils

13. green lentils

14. puy lentils

15. red lentils

16. yellow lentils

17. lima beans (butter beans)

18. mung beans

19. navy beans (haricot beans)

20. green peas

21. yellow peas

22. peanuts

23. pinto beans

24. runner beans

25. snow peas

26. soybeans

27. sugar snap peas

Which legumes are the healthiest?

No legume is healthier than another. They’re all rich in nutrients, like fiber and protein. And because each type contains a different range of vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols, eating a wide variety is particularly good for you.

The only exception is if you have a nut allergy. In this case, you’ll need to avoid peanuts.

In the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast episode on protein, Dr. Christopher Gardner describes beans as the healthiest and tastiest source of protein. You can watch the full episode here.

Beans vs. legumes vs. pulses

You may hear the words legumes, pulses, and beans used interchangeably, but they’re not the same.

Legume is an overarching term for any plant in the Fabaceae family, which includes beans, peas, and lentils.

In the world of nutrition, “legume” typically refers to a pod containing seeds, but it can more generally include the plant’s leaves and stems.

In the case of sugar snap peas and string beans, we eat the whole pod. When it comes to beans and lentils, we only eat the seeds, or pulses.

In everyday use, many people only call beans, peas, and lentils “pulses” when they’re buying the dried kind.  

So, to sum up:

• All beans are legumes.

• Not all legumes are beans.

• All beans, peas, and lentils are pulses.

• All pulses are legumes.

Should you worry about lectins and antinutrients?

Lectins are proteins in many plants, such as legumes and nightshade vegetables. 

They’re antinutrients, meaning they sometimes interfere with how your body absorbs and uses nutrients in food.

This could cause digestive issues or inflammation, depending on your sensitivity, any potential allergies, and how many raw legumes you’ve had. 

But we almost always cook legumes. This breaks down the lectins, making them safe to eat.

Beans straight from the can have already been cooked, so the lectins have been broken down. Soaking and boiling legumes can also reduce their lectin content.

In fact, lectins and other antinutrients may even provide some health benefits.

They have antioxidant properties, and they may help control your blood sugar responses by slowing your digestion. 

Scientists are even investigating whether lectins could help treat cancer.

Tips for adding legumes to your diet

If you’re looking for inspiration, here are a few ways to get more legumes into your meals:

• Try hummus and bean dips: Whizzing up chickpeas for homemade hummus is quick and simple. You can make dips with other legumes, like cannellini beans, too.

• Spruce up your salads: Try sugar snap or snow peas for fresh texture, peanuts for extra crunch, and chickpeas, fava beans, or pinto beans for substance.

• Opt for ease: You can throw canned beans into a dish at a moment’s notice.

• Mix things up: Why use one legume when you can use three? A blend of beans offers a wider range of nutrients, flavors, and textures.

• Make healthy swaps: Try butter bean stew, chickpea curry, or black bean tacos instead of meat versions. Or serve lentils with a meal instead of white rice or potatoes.

At ZOE, we run the largest nutrition science study in the world. From our research, we know that each of us responds to different foods in different ways.

Our personalized nutrition program can suggest healthy swaps and recipes tailored to your responses. This is especially handy if you’re looking to eat more of certain foods.

Learn more about how it works and take our free quiz.

Summary

Legumes are edible pods and seeds. Some examples are beans, peas, and other pulses, like chickpeas and lentils, as well as green beans and peanuts.

They’re high in fiber and protein, and they’re a good source of healthy fats and carbs, as well as minerals and other nutrients.

There’s some evidence that regularly eating plenty of legumes could reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer. It might also help with weight management.

It’s best to eat a wide range of legumes if you can, as each type contains different micronutrients.