Health benefits of legume seeds.

Pulses have been part of human nutrition for centuries. They are also used in folk medicine as products with multidirectional medicinal effects. They are annual plants representing the Fabaceae family. Their edible part is the fruit, i.e. the so-called pods. Whole pods or their parts can be eaten, depending on the species and fruit ripeness. Beans, peas, peanuts, chickpeas, lentils, broad beans, and soybeans are edible legume species. Legume seeds are characterized by high nutritional value. Compared to seeds from other plants, they have high protein content ranging on average from 20% to 35%, depending on the type, growing conditions, and maturity of the fruit. This review focuses on various health-promoting properties of legumes and presents their nutritional value and compounds exerting health-promoting effects. Many pulses have a low glycemic index, which is important for prevention and treatment of diabetes. In addition to their low glycemic index and high fiber content, pulses have α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors, which reduce the absorption of glucose from the gastrointestinal tract. These compounds have anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. Pulses have been shown to contain bioactive peptides with ACE inhibitory properties; hence, they are useful in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Pulses used in the nutrition for obese individuals provide compounds with pancreatic lipase inhibitory properties, thus promoting weight reduction and control. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.