Pulses, their benefits and what you need to know

Celebrating World Pulse Day, 10 February 2019

On 10 February, we are celebrating International Pulse Day. Not only are pulses nutritional POWERHOUSES, but many active people don’t realize that they can be especially beneficial in the diet of athletes.

Firstly, what are pulses?

Pulses is used to refer to crops that are only harvested for the dry seed. Pulses fall into the category of legumes, which include foods like dry beans like chickpeas, lentils, split-peas, black beans, kidney beans, soya beans, and other types of beans, as well as green beans, peas and peanuts.

Why are pulses good for us?

• They provide great nutritional “bang for your buck”: In a review of different foods, beans were among the top 5 classes of food with highest micronutrient to price ratio.
• Pulses are high in fiber and therefore aid digestion, help keep blood sugar levels stable after meals, lower cholesterol and improve the health of your colon.
• They are rich in vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folate) and minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc) – a lot of which are very important in the athlete’s diet
• They have been proven to help in the prevention of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and help with weight loss.
• As good plant-based sources of protein (20-25% of weight for beans, and 35% for soya), they are low in fat, are very affordable and can be used to replace meat in some dishes
• They are also environmentally friendly as they are water-efficient, help to keep the soil fertile and in a healthy condition and have a smaller carbon footprint than meat
• They are good sources of non-heme iron, which the body can use well when eaten with foods rich in vitamin C.
• Legumes play an integral part in many of the world’s healthiest eating patterns, including the Mediterranean style of diet, the DASH eating plan, vegetarian/vegan diets and lower-glycaemic-index (GI) diets.

Cooking and preparing pulses

You can either buy canned pulses (look for brands without added sugar and salt on the ingredient label), or soak and cook them yourself.

Dry beans and dry chickpeas should be soaked in water from 4 to 8 hours to:

• Dramatically reduce the cooking time and the ability of the pulses to cause flatulence (gas) – your roommates/housemates will thank you.
• Make them more easily digestible and ensure their nutrients are better absorbed by the body. Raw dry beans, peas and lentils tend to be high in ‘anti-nutrients’ that can limit the body’s ability to absorb certain minerals like iron and zinc, such as phytates, tannins and phenols.

Beans will swell about 2 ½ times their original size after they are cooked.

Some recipes indicate that you should add baking soda when cooking the beans; which may help retain colour, reduce the time it takes to cook and eliminate gas. However, this destroys the vitamins in the beans like thiamin, give the pulses a soapy taste and also make the pulses too soft.

The cooking time of different pulses vary. Most beans and chickpeas need about 90 minutes to cook to their desired texture if they were soaked beforehand. Split-peas and lentils do not have to be soaked and will be ready in 20-30minutes. Soya beans will take 3-4 hours.

To cook the beans, cover pre-soaked beans in a pot with fresh water and bring to a boil. Simmer with the lid covering the pot loosely until the desired softness is achieved.

Canned pulses can alternatively be used if you are short on time.

How often should you try to incorporate pulses into your diet?

It is recommended to try and consume at least 3-4 servings of legumes per week. A serving is:

• ½ cup cooked/canned pulses
• 3 tablespoons dry soya mince

One serving of legumes (depending on the type of legume) roughly contains about 115 calories, 15-20g of carbohydrate, 7-9g fibre, 8g protein and 0.5-1g fat.

When starting to include more pulses into your diet, keep in mind that they are high in fibre, which may cause some bloating in certain people – the solution is to increase your intake little by little. For example, if you are new to eating pulses, start with a tablespoon or two at a time and gradually increase your intake. Also, due to their high fibre content, these foods are not the best option to eat as part of a pre-workout meal as they can lead to digestive discomfort.

Remember, improving your nutrition is all about habits and making sustainable changes. So, no matter what it is you are trying to change, or incorporate into your diet, do it in a way that works for YOU. Simple, small changes, such as incorporating pulses into your diet, can lead to bigger long-term results in your health and performance.

References:

1. Polak, R., Phillips, E.M., Campbell, A. 2015. Legumes: Health Benefits and Culinary Approaches to Increase Intake. Clinical diabetes. 33(4):198-205
2. ADSA. 2016. Love your beans – eat dry beans, peas and lentils. Questions and Answers. https://www.nutritionweek.co.za/NNW2016/docs/NNW2016_QandA_October2016.pdf. Date of access: 2019/02/09.