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Are Legumes Good For Gut Health? [Minerals & Benefits]

Are Legumes good for gut health

In today’s world, everyone is looking for an edge when it comes to being healthy. Goes without saying that exercising and eating right goes a long way in keeping fit and healthy.

So what exactly can you do to be healthy AND promote good gut health? One such thing you can do is incorporate legumes into your diet.

So, Are they really that good for us and are good for our gut health?

In short yes they are. Legumes give benefits to your gut health.  They contain bioactive peptides that also come with anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

They are a rich source of fibre as well as B vitamins. They have a number of great health benefits and that includes decreasing your blood sugar and cholesterol.

Legumes also increase the number of healthy bacteria in your gut.

Do legumes cause a leaky gut?

Do legumes cause a leaky gut

One reason that many people say that legumes are harmful to you is that they can cause a syndrome called leaky gut.

In reality, it is a poorly defined medical diagnosis and leaky gut syndrome happens when food damages the line of your intestine wall.

What this does is then lead to holes in the walls of your intestines. This is not ideal because this then can allow bacteria and toxins to make their way into your bloodstream.

At the time of writing, the leaky gut syndrome is not a true diagnosis as there simply is not enough research gone into finding out more about our intestines.

We will now go into a little bit more detail about beans and legumes and why they can cause leaky gut and why they are not ideal for you.

Some beans and legumes have certain minerals that can be bad for your gut. Phytates stick to the minerals that are in beans and what this does is stops iron, magnesium, zinc, and iron from being absorbed by your body.

What this does is make some beans insignificant when it comes to their value nutritionally.

Another one is Lectins.

They are called nature’s own pesticide which is not exactly ideal for food, is it? Lectins can damage our gut barrier cells and what this can do is cause intestinal permeability.

Leaky gut promotes a low-grade inflammation, and it is the first stage of the development of some chronic and autoimmune diseases.

Then there are Saponins.

These are antinutrients and they can destroy cells and by doing this can create the holes associated with the leaky gut syndrome.

Once they can into the bloodstream of your body, they can cause even greater damage to your red blood cells.

Saponins can compromise the gut barrier and can disrupt your body’s immune system.  The last one is Polyphenols. It is found in legumes and beans.

What it does is prevent the enzymes in our gut from breaking down the proteins into amino acids.  This causes the secretion of the enzyme called Trypsin in big amounts.

What this does is triggers the loosening of tight cell junctions and then this allows bad toxins and bacteria to enter into your bloodstream which is never good.

What beans are good for your gut?

What beans are good for your gut

Legumes and beans have several health benefits for you and your body.

This includes reducing blood sugar levels as well as reducing cholesterol while increasing healthy bacteria in the gut.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas boast several benefits.

From helping to reduce weight, to limiting risk factors for heart disease just to name a few.

They are great at reducing your blood sugar level and also improving blood cholesterol levels.

Chickpeas are a great source of folate and fiber while being low in calories.

Lentils

Great additions to stews and soups, they have several benefits.

They help reduce blood sugar when compared to other food.

Lentils also improve the function of your bowel and they also help in reducing cholesterol in the body.

They are a good source of protein for vegetarians too.

Peas

Peas are a superb source of protein and fiber.

Peas are great for your gut health because the fiber that is made, feeds the healthy bacteria that is in your gut.

Kidney beans

Kidney beans are one of the most popular beans that are consumed.

Because they are high in fiber, they can slow down the absorption of sugar into your blood.

Soybeans

Soybeans contain very high levels of antioxidants called isoflavones and they provide many health benefits.

The proteins and soy phytoestrogens can also reduce the risk factors of heart disease.

Pinto Beans

These beans are found in Mexico.

They can reduce your total cholesterol as well as a short-chain fatty acid that is produced by the guts bacteria.

Pinto beans can also reduce the rise in blood sugar.

You can eat them either by mashing them or just eating them whole.

These are great for maintaining your good gut health.

Navy beans

Navy beans are a superb source of minerals, B vitamins, and fiber.

Because of their high fiber content, Navy beans help reduce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

Navy beans also have several important nutrients as well as having a lot of fiber which is great for promoting your gut health.

Peanuts

The last bean that is good for you is an odd one, peanuts.

They are legumes which makes them different from other types of nuts.

Peanuts are a superb source of B vitamins, protein, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

Because of the high levels of monounsaturated fats, eating peanuts can have several health benefits that can promote good gut health.

They are just a few beans that are good for your gut health and eating them can go a long way to improving the health of your gut.

Do beans ferment in your gut?

Do beans ferment in your gut

Yes, they do. Many beans and legumes contain a carbohydrate called galacto-oligosacchardes (GOS).

This carb is not digested by the small intestine, instead, it moves along to the large intestine.

This is where it is broken down and fermented by the bacteria that is in your gut.

When this happens, nearly 30 percent of people will experience bloating and abdominal pain.

Are black beans good for gut health?

Are black beans good for gut health

In short yes. Black beans are highly sorted after because of their fiber and protein content.

They also have other key vitamins and minerals that benefit our health.

They can strengthen your bones and can protect your heat because they contain saponins and quercetin.

Black beans can lower blood pressure because they only take in a small amount of sodium intake.

The saponins and quercetin can aid your body in cardioprotection, and quercetin, can protect against the damage of lipoprotein cholesterol.

Saponins can prevent damage to the blood vessels and the heart.

Eating black beans can also promote healthy digestion as well because of their fiber content.

They can prevent you from becoming constipated and by eating them regularly, they can be great for a healthy digestive tract.

Another benefit of black beans is that they give fuel to the healthy bacteria in your colon.

Black beans are also good at weight loss too, while keeping your gut health in check.

By eating black beans regularly, you can decrease the risk of diabetes, obesity as well as heart disease.

They can also give you increased energy and lower your weight all while keeping your gut health in check.

Conclusion

There are many different types of foods that people need to eat to be healthy.

Legumes are one of them. They can promote great gut health as well as having many other health benefits for your body.

As with any type of food, everything in moderation is the best way to go as too much is not good for you and not enough can cause you some health problems.

By eating beans and legumes you can become the best version of yourself and feel great.

In closing, legumes are great for your gut health, and eating them in moderation is a great thing to add to your diet.