Cropping
cholesterol levels and when 50g of
nations could thus be an easy way to
ingredients that provide all the
lentils were added to the diet of
boost global protein production.
benefits of eating whole pulses. These
diabetic patients, their fasting blood
Nevertheless, pulses face traditional
already include pasta, crackers,
sugar levels significantly decreased.
barriers in the West, including the
batters, flours and egg/meat-
Meanwhile, populations with the
need for overnight soaking,
replacement products.
greatest lentil consumption also have
unappealing tastes and potential
Even so, we should all consider how
the lowest rates of breast, prostate
flatulence from a high-fibre diet. To
much meat we really need. A more
and colorectal cancer. This may be
overcome these, ingredient
plant-based diet is a winning strategy
partly due to the high fibre content of
manufacturers have developed
for our wallets, our health and the
pulses: increasingly, a high-fibre diet
pulses into new functional
environment.
is associated with a reduced risk of
colorectal cancer. Fibre content may
also explain the satiating effect of
pulses: for example, incorporating
lentils into energy-equivalent meals
causes greater fullness and leads to a
lower calorie consumption later in the
day.
Green beans
Just as they are good for us, beans,
lentils and peas are also good for the
environment. As they work with
bacteria that convert atmospheric
nitrogen into useful ammonia or
nitrates, legumes actually improve
soil fertility and reduce dependence
on energy-intensive fertilisers.
Pulses are also highly water-efficient;
for each gram of protein, the average
global water footprint of pulses is
only 34% that of pork and 17% that
of beef. Meanwhile, the carbon
footprint of pulses is less than half
that of winter wheat and on average
48 times lower than the equivalent
weight of British beef cattle.
Despite all this, the potential of
pulses is largely unrecognised.
Currently demand is dominated by
India and Pakistan, however poor
yields mean the two countries import
more than 20% of global pulse
production. Even big exporters like
Australia and Canada remain
inefficient, achieving barely half the
yield per acre found in Croatia. This
“yield gap” exists because these
countries typically grow pulses as
animal feed or to break up crop
rotations. Optimising pulse harvests
in both developing and developed
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July - August 2016