Όσπρια: η πραγματική υπερτροφή!

Hi! I'm Stelios Pantazis. I'm a doctor and I specialize in medical nutrition and metabolic disorders. Today, I'd like to talk about a superfood. Legumes. Some nutrition experts believe that the best meal is grilled meat-salad. Although I disagree, because I believe that the Mediterranean diet is the best, I can suggest a meal that is grilled meat-salad and, at the same time, typical of the Mediterranean diet. Legumes. Legumes are very rich in high-quality proteins, like meat, as well as in fibers, antioxidants, anticancer and anti-inflammatory substances, like salad. At the same time, there are many ways to cook them, so we can have a variety of flavours, and they're really affordable. Let's see more details. In the last ten years, many scientific data have accumulated showing that the ideal diet should be based on plant-based foods. All the latest studies actively discourage us from consuming too much meat, recommending regular and daily consumption of many plant-based foods. Right now, globally, everyone agrees that the Mediterranean diet is the best, and one of the main reasons is that it's rich in plant-based foods, such as legumes. Moreover, it is considered really healthy, because it includes little red meat and few animal products in general. Plant-based foods have dominated so much that it is estimated that the consumption of legumes has increased by 30% in the last ten years in the US. Let's see the reasons. Legumes are very rich in fibers. One plate of legumes may contain 10-20 g of fibers, which cover approximately half our daily needs. Fibers are a nutrient missing from most people's diet, and everyone can benefit from consuming more fibers. But not all fibers are the same. Some fibers are better for the bowel function, and others are better for the reduction of blood sugar and cholesterol. Fortunately, legumes contain a large amount of both groups, especially the one reducing cholesterol, which is harder to find. Legumes are also very rich in antioxidants, anticancer and anti-inflammatory substances. Many studies have shown that people regularly consuming legumes are at least 10% less likely to suffer from heart disease and high blood pressure. Furthermore, the high-quality plant-based protein in legumes reduces the risk of diabetes, some types of cancer, and premature death. If all the above didn't seem important enough to you, I'll tell you the most important thing that all of you are interested in. Legumes help in weight loss too. It has been estimated in extensive studies that people regularly consuming legumes are 22% less likely to be obese compared to people not consuming legumes. All the above would be extremely important, even if we had to travel to the end of the world to buy legumes, but fortunately legumes are very affordable and easy to use. For example, legumes can be preserved in their package for at least two years, and if their package is opened, for one year. This makes them really practical and useful, but for lazy people, like me, there are also canned legumes. Unfortunately, canned legumes are much more expensive and contain much salt. But they're practical. At the end of the day, one can costs less than a sandwich. Canned legumes also contain much salt, but if you wash them well, half of the salt is washed away. Canned legumes can be preserved for five years, if the can has been intact. A question that I often hear is "Which are the best legumes?" The answer is simple. All legumes are really good. We should focus more on the variety and on eating as much as we can, rather than trying to find which the healthiest is. On the other hand, lentils are the most practical, because they're cooked more quickly than all the other legumes and they don't need soaking, while the dark beans, such as red and black beans, contain more antioxidants. However, the best idea is not to eat the one with the most nutrients all the time, but to find ways to eat as many legumes as we can, in as many ways as possible. If you suffer from diabetes and you're concerned, because the blood sugar measurements increase too much after the consumption of legumes, there's a really easy way to prevent this. After cooking the legumes, leave them in the fridge to cool. Eat them cold or a bit warmed up, and you'll see that your blood sugar won't increase that much. Another way is to use legumes in salads, adding many vegetables, or to try dishes with legumes including many vegetables, such as beans with leek, or chickpeas with spinach. The vegetables will reduce the starch, and the blood-sugar increase after the meal will be milder. Finally, if you're concerned about gas, there are some solutions you can try. The first one is to try different legumes. You may notice that some cause you gas, while others don't. You'll end up eating the ones that don't cause you gas more often.