Lentil

Latin Name: Lens culinaris Medic., L.esculenta. Moench, Ervum lens Linn.

Sanskrit /Indian Name: Masura

General information:

For many years, Lentils have been traditionally eaten with barley and wheat. Lentils are one of the earliest foods to have been cultivated. Highly nutritious, Lentils are effective in reducing cholesterol. Revered for its high protein content, Lentil soup soothes gastric troubles and constipation. A study published in theArchives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods such as Lentils, helps prevent heart disease.

Therapeutic constituents:

Lentils are valued for their high protein, fiber, folate and magnesium content. Its principal protein is globulin. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. The methylation cycle plays an important role in many bodily processes like detoxification and brain function.  Magnesium improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Key therapeutic benefits:

• The high fiber content in Lentils maintains cholesterol and blood sugar levels in the body.

• Lentils also contribute to heart health by providing significant amounts of folate and magnesium.

• The fiber in Lentils is of the soluble and insoluble type. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract to trap bile. Research has shown that insoluble fiber helps to increase stool formation and prevent digestive disorders like constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

• Lentils are also known to increase energy by replenishing iron in the body.

• A poultice made from Lentil seeds is known to cure skin diseases.