por What are legumes and foods of animal origin?
The legumes and foods of animal origin They are essential for a proper diet. Examples of legumes are lentils, chickpeas, beans, kidney beans, beans, peas, broad beans, soybeans, lupine, peanuts, among others. Examples of animal-based foods are chicken, pork, beef, seafood, eggs, or milk.
Legumes or Fabaceae are a plant species of the Leguminosae family. They are very easy to recognize by the characteristic shape of their fruit, which is commonly called a legume (from the Latin legume), for which, in general, they are popularly called “legumes”.
Due to their nutritional properties and their relatively easy cultivation, they are the main responsible –along with cereals– for the growth and development of populations throughout history. They are a source of vegetable protein.
Foods of animal origin also provide high-quality protein, essential for the healthy development of bones and muscles.
In addition, they provide significant amounts of iron, zinc and vitamins d and from group B. They should be consumed in a smaller proportion than vegetables due to their high content of unhealthy fats and their high caloric index.
Legumes and foods of animal origin
What both types of food have in common is basically their high protein content. However, vegetable protein is found in cereals and legumes in lower concentrations, so to obtain its benefits, the intake of legumes would have to be higher than that of meat.
A vegetarian diet supplemented with dairy products and eggs will promote more balanced protein synthesis.
In addition, the digestion of proteins of animal origin is usually superior to that of proteins of vegetable origin. In conclusion: the balanced consumption of all food groups is what guarantees a healthy life.
legumes
The characteristic of legumes is that their fruits are shaped like pods inside which grow edible seeds arranged in a row. As the plant matures, the pods dry out and seeds are born that store food for another plant to germinate.
In addition to their importance and benefits for the human body, legumes are of great relevance for the soils where they are grown, since, through the nodules in their roots, they are capable of fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, thanks to the symbiosis with bacteria rhizobia.
2016 was declared the International Year of Pulses, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in order to highlight the nutritional importance of these foods and stimulate their consumption.
There are many species of legumes, but there are really few that are used for human and/or animal food, as well as for applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and textile industries, etc.
Legumes have various origins, depending on the species: from Mesopotamia, through Eastern Asia, to pre-Columbian America. It is believed that, along with cereals, legumes were the first plants cultivated by ancient agricultural civilizations.
The best-known legumes are grain ones, such as broad beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas or soybeans, but there are also «forage» legumes, from which a part of the plant other than the seed is consumed, such as They can be leaves or stems. These include alfalfa and carob.
Some commonly consumed legumes today are: beans, soybeans, peas, lentils, peanuts, chickpeas, tamarind, carob and alfalfa, among others.
Benefits of legumes
– They have a low glycemic index, so it is a good food to include in the menu of diabetics or people with insulin problems.
– They have low fat content and high fiber content that increases the feeling of satiety, ideal for people on diet regimens.
– Decreases the risk of coronary heart disease, due to the positive effects of fiber on LDL cholesterol, or bad.
– Some of its vitamins, such as folate, prevent congenital malformations in the fetus.
– Its high iron content prevents anemia, which is enhanced when combined with the consumption of foods that contain vitamin C, which helps absorb iron.
– Legumes are gluten free. Ideal for coeliacs.
– Rich in antioxidants and phytoestrogens that promote bone health during aging.
foods of animal origin
The basic diet of every human being is made up of a portion of food of plant origin (fruits, vegetables, vegetables, legumes and cereals) and another of animal origin.
Within the latter are milk and its derivatives, eggs and meat of different animal species, the most common being bovine, porcine, ovine and caprine, as well as fish and other seafood.
A balanced diet must include foods from all these groups in a balanced way, although it is true that in contemporary societies, this balance is often affected, with the consequent appearance of diseases and nutritional disorders.
Benefits of foods of animal origin
– They generate natural defenses and create antibodies, by complementing fundamental amino acids for the organism, such as lysine.
– Rapid absorption of proteins: up to 90% easier to assimilate than those of legumes and vegetables.
– They are primary sources of essential fatty acids such as omega-6 and omega-3 (the latter present in high concentrations in fish), very important for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
– Promotes the absorption of calcium.
– They have a high content of vitamin B12 (riboflavin), especially in eggs, and vitamin A as retinol, only present in products of animal origin.
– Contributes to the generation of muscle mass, important for people who perform physical training or patients with chronic degenerative conditions.
– Improves circulation, oxygenates the blood and raises or maintains the red blood cell count.
– Consumed in the form of broths, they raise the body’s natural defenses and release minerals such as calcium and phosphorus that benefit the bone and digestive system.
– The cartilage and tendon juice has a high content of chondroitin and glucosamine, especially indicated for arthritis and joint ailments.
References
Nutritional benefits of legumes. Retrieved from fao.org.
8 benefits of animal proteins. Recovered from salud180.com.