I bet you didn’t know that the peanut (GI 14) is a legume not a nut, or that eating legumes can reduce your risk of developing diabetes by half. Whether you eat legumes as snacks or add them to meals, you reduce the overall GI of your diet because your body digests them slowly. This is primarily because their starch breaks down relatively slowly (or incompletely) during cooking and they contain tannins and enzyme inhibitors that also slow digestion.
In a recent study, researchers found that Chinese women who ate legumes reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Women with a high intake of legumes reduced their risk by 38%, while those with a high intake specifically of soybeans (GI 14) nearly halved their risk - reducing it by 47%. The study was conducted by researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Centre and the Shanghai Cancer Institute (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition January 2008).
Evaluating dietary intakes, researchers followed 64,227 middle-aged Chinese women with no history of type 2 diabetes, cancer or cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the study. Other than soy milk, there was no relationship between diabetes risk and eating soy foods and soy protein such as tofu and tempeh.
Legumes, also known as pulses, are the edible seeds found inside the mature pods of leguminous plants such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and peanuts. Whether you buy legumes dried, or opt for canned convenience, you are choosing one of nature’s lowest GI foods. They are high in fibre and packed with nutrients, providing protein, carbohydrate, B vitamins, folate and minerals.
Our bodies are designed to optimally consume slow-release (low GI) sources of carbohydrate such as legumes which our ancestors gathered for their energy needs. Adding or substituting legumes into your diet is an easy and simple way to manage your energy needs and reduce your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.
Low Glycemic Index (GI) and Low Glycemic Load (GL) foods have been proven in studies to be beneficial: dieting; weight loss; obesity; diabetes; balancing blood sugar; sustained energy; sport nutrition; mental performance; acne; eye health; macular degeneration; heart disease and forms of cancer. See also Low GI Diet, Low GI Recipes, Low GI Food, Low GI Eating.
Copyright 2008, Saul Katz
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