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If you replace a portion of your potatoes or rice with lentils, the carbohydrates will be absorbed more gradually into the bloodstream. This leads to a lower risk of diabetes and obesity.
Lentils vs. Potatoes and Rice
I’m not really into lentils. Simply because I’m not used to them. I eat them maybe a few times a year when I visit my vegetarian sister. But maybe I should change that. Replacing half of your carbohydrates from potatoes or rice with legumes like lentils offers several benefits. Canadian research from the University of Guelph shows that your blood sugar can be significantly lowered [1].
Lentils, like potatoes and rice, contain carbohydrates. About 20 grams per 100 grams, which is slightly more than in potatoes (about 17 grams per 100 grams). If you replace half of the potatoes with lentils, the blood sugar in the following hours appears to be 35 percent lower. When replacing half of rice with lentils, blood sugar drops by 20 percent.
The researchers therefore point out that eating lentils may be a way to counteract problems with blood sugar levels.
Pulses are extremely nutrient-dense food that have the potential to reduce chronic diseases associated with mismanaged glucose levels
Alison Duncan, University of Guelph
Canada is a major producer of lentils, most of which are exported. The Canadian researchers hope to demonstrate that the percentage of 13% of their compatriots who eat lentils from time to time can be significantly increased.
Lentils and Lower Blood Sugar
For the study, 24 healthy adults were given four different meals:
- Only white rice
- Half rice, half large green lentils
- Half rice, half small green lentils
- Half rice, half red split lentils
This process was then repeated but with potatoes only and the same combinations with the different lentils. Blood sugar was measured before and for two hours after the meals. Combining with all three types of lentils showed a similar decrease in blood sugar.
‘Time released carbs’
As you probably know, carbohydrates in food lead to the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, also known as your blood sugar. Depending on the type of carbohydrate and the amount, this increase can be (relatively) slow or fast, and the size of the increase may vary. Legumes like lentils can slow down the absorption of sugars and their release into the bloodstream.
“That slower, more gradual uptake of glucose prevents a peak. Prolonged high levels can lead to problems in regulating blood sugar, a characteristic of type 2 diabetes. Eating lentils can lower that risk,” says Duncan. She adds that lentils contain substances that inhibit enzymes involved in the absorption of glucose. The fibers in lentils and other legumes also contribute to the formation of short-chain fatty acids, which can also have a lowering effect on blood sugar.
Getting Used to Lentils
In order to get more people to eat lentils, it is important that the health effects are known and can be stated as such. In Canada, where the research was conducted, a 20 percent decrease in blood sugar must be achieved for such claims.
For the study, the combinations were used because people often eat lentils as part of a larger meal. Usually in combination with other starch-containing products. They therefore wanted to see results that could be translated into daily practice.
Plant Protein
In addition to carbohydrates, lentils also contain protein, about 9 grams per 100 grams. This also makes it a great source of plant protein. That’s more than four times as much as in potatoes and more than three times as much as in rice.
When it comes to building muscle mass, we often prefer animal protein, including proteins from dairy such as whey and casein. This is mainly due to the amino acid profile, which often favors animal proteins for muscle recovery and growth.
However, when it comes to overall health, there may be arguments in favor of choosing more plant-based protein. We have often described studies that show a link between high protein intakes and the risk of certain diseases such as cancer and a higher risk of death. However, we see that such a link varies by type of cancer. This also varies by age, with higher intake reducing the risk of death in the elderly. Finally, we also mentioned studies that looked at the different sources of protein. Only protein from red meat and processed meat was found to increase the risk of cancer. This did not apply to plant proteins and protein from dairy and eggs.
More Lentils then?
For some, a peak in glucose (and therefore insulin) may be desirable at the right time. Depending on your goal and method of using it, your approach to carbohydrates may differ.
But even for active athletes, desired peaks will be relatively small in number and short in duration. For example, around a training session or competition. At other times of recovery, which occur more frequently and last longer, a gradual release of carbohydrates is often recommended.
For inactive individuals, a gradual release of glucose should be preferred altogether. There is no need for a peak, for example, to stimulate muscles more after a workout. Moreover, there is less muscle mass to absorb that glucose, making it easier for the body to regulate it properly. A gradual release also reduces the chance that an excess of glucose will be taken up by fat cells. Less chance of obesity, therefore.
Enough reasons to throw some more lentils into the stew, I’d say.
Reference
- Dita Moravek, Alison M Duncan, Laura B VanderSluis, Sarah J Turkstra, Erica J Rogers, Jessica M Wilson, Aileen Hawke, D Dan Ramdath. Carbohydrate Replacement of Rice or Potato with Lentils Reduces the Postprandial Glycemic Response in Healthy Adults in an Acute, Randomized, Crossover Trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 2018; 148 (4): 535 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxy018
