Legumes May Reduce The Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes

A new study indicates that high intake of legumes could reduce the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes. This is because legumes contain the high level of B vitamins that help the body generate energy and regulate metabolism.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Clinical Nutrition. The study was led by researchers from the Unit of Human Nutrition at the Universität Rovira I Virgili in Tarragona, Spain, and the Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea (PREDIMED). The researchers examine the link between legume intake and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in people who are exposed to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, according to Medical News Today.

The study involved 3,349 people in the PREDIMED study. They did not have type 2 diabetes from the start of the study. The scientists gathered information on their diets each year during the median follow-up period of 4.3 years.

The team examined the link between type 2 diabetes and the average consumption of legumes. During the follow-up period, the researchers discovered that there were new 266 cases of type 2 diabetes. They also found that those participants with a high consumption of legumes were 35 percent less likely to acquire type 2 diabetes than those who had the low intake of legumes.

Meanwhile, the legumes that could lower the risk of type 2 diabetes are the lentils. Likewise, replacing half of serving a day of legumes with protein and carbohydrate-rich food such as eggs, bread, potatoes or rice could lessen the risk of diabetes.

Legumes are the fruits or seeds of a plant that belong to the family Fabaceae. These include lentils, beans, clover, alfalfa, peas, soybeans, carob, peanuts, mesquite, lupin beans and tamarind. They are usually grown agriculturally in the tropical rainforests and dry forests in the Americas and Africa.

Legumes are rich in B vitamins and have minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium. They are low-glycemic-index food that means the blood glucose levels only heighten gradually after eating.