Red Lentils by R.Borgacci

What are

What are red lentils?

Red lentils are edible seeds that belong to the IV fundamental group of foods.

Rich in starch and fiber, these foods also contribute to providing significant levels of specific vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants and lecithins.

Red lentils are a variety of lentils. Like all others, they also contain a starchy endosperm and a germ, surrounded by external fibrous (cortical) integuments.

The red lentils are cooked in a pot for boiling or drowning, in cold water, eventually adjusted to stewing, allowing the excess liquid to evaporate. Unlike most dried vegetables, they do not need to be soaked. In South Asian cuisine, decorticated lentils (deprived of the cortical portion) are accompanied by rice or rotis (local bread). They are consumed in all regions of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Most of the world's lentil production comes from Canada, India and Australia.

Of the family Fabaceae (legumes or legumes), red lentils belong to the genus Lens and culinaris species; another botanical synonym of lentil is Lens esculenta .

Lentils (not exactly red ones) are also typical Italian foods, despite their geographical origin (Indochina) is far from the peninsula. That of the lentils is a thick herbaceous plant with an annual cycle, about 40 cm high, which produces pods containing the respective seeds (generally two per capsule).

Nutritional Properties

Nutritional properties of lentils

Red lentils are seeds that belong to the IV fundamental group of foods. Dried provide a considerable amount of calories. However, it must be considered that when cooked, even without excess water, they can triple in volume, reducing their energy density by 66%. Moreover, stewed and of liquid consistency (with a little broth), they can boast up to 1/4 of the initial caloric intake.

The energy supplied by red lentils is mainly covered by carbohydrates, followed by proteins of medium biological value and finally by traces of lipids with an excellent metabolic impact. Carbohydrates are basically complex, or starch, while peptides have an incomplete essential amino acid profile; this means that they do not contain (in the right proportions) all the "bricks" typical of human proteins. Finally, fatty acids have a prevalence of polynature chains, among which also the essential omega 3 and omega 6 appear, in the respective forms of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (AL). Other lipids and lipid complexes of red lentils are phytosterols and lecithins.

Red lentils have a high fiber content, both soluble and insoluble. The endosperm (amidaceous portion, or what remains in decorticated lentils) also contains both, but, unlike external integuments, it is richer in soluble molecules.

The vitamin profile of red lentils is virtuous. Above all the water-soluble molecules belonging to the B group abound, such as: folic acid, thiamine or vit B1 and pyridoxine or vit B6; however, riboflavin or vit B2 and niacin or vit PP are also more than relevant. Even the salt intake does not disappoint; red lentils are very rich in iron, although not very bioavailable, with phosphorus, zinc and potassium.

Red lentils are totally gluten-free, averse to celiacs, lactose and histamine, two other nutritional factors potentially involved in the intolerances of hypersensitive subjects. The content of purines, nucleic acid factors, is considerable.

Note : decorticated red lentils contain less anti-nutritional factors (especially phytic acid, oxalic acid) than those with peel.

Diet

Red lentils in the diet

Red lentils are suitable for any diet. For various reasons, they are also very useful in the diet against overweight and against metabolic pathologies such as: hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and arterial hypertension.

It should however be specified that it is not a food with negligible energy intake and glycemic load. In the case of obesity, the portion of red lentils must necessarily be adequate for the slimming therapeutic goal. The same applies to diabetic (mellitus type 2) and hypertriglyceridemic pathologies in which, while appreciating the low glycemic index (favored by the abundance of fibers and proteins), it is advisable to decrease the average portion and the relative total glycemic load.

We have specified that the proteins of red lentils are of medium biological value. This means that, by themselves, they are not sufficient to fill the human being's need for essential amino acids. It is therefore necessary to compensate for them by introducing high biological value proteins from animal sources (eggs, meat, fish) or in any case peptides containing the limiting amino acids of red lentils (especially methionine). For vegetarians and vegans, an excellent way to compensate for the biological value of red lentils is to associate them with or alternate with cereals.

Thanks to the content of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6 (ALA and AL), phytosterols and lecithins, red lentils have a beneficial impact on the pathologies of: hypercholesterolemia, arterial hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus not properly compensated .

deepening

What are lecithins? These are large lipo and water soluble molecules, capable of retaining cholesterol in the intestine, reducing its absorption and reducing its plasma concentration thanks to a metabolic action. For the same reason, when in excess, they act as anti-nutritional elements for essential fatty acids and liposolubule vitamins.

What are phytosterols? Steroid molecules similar by name (and vaguely by chemical structure) to animal cholesterol, but with diametrically opposite metabolic impact. In addition to being powerful antioxidants, they also play a beneficial action on cholesterolemia.

Even the fibers help to make red lentils very healthy foods. They reduce the glycemic index, promote satiety, decrease cholesterol absorption and reabsorption of bile salts, promote intestinal peristalsis, reduce the possibility of colon cancer and nourish the microbiota (prebiotic function).

However, they too, if in excess, can harm the balance of the organism. In addition to generating flatulence, abdominal tension and meteorism (especially insoluble fibers), the fibers increase the stool volume (fecal multipliers) and can reduce its consistency up to diarrhea. On the other hand, decorticated red lentils also have a non-negligible soluble fiber content. These, mainly responsible for the modulation in intestinal absorption, compared to insoluble substances, gel the faeces without increasing their volume too much. Nevertheless, the stickiness of excess fibers can hinder the absorption not only of unwanted nutritional factors (cholesterol, bile salts, excess sugars), but also of those necessary such as vitamins and minerals. In general, too abundant portions of red lentils are contraindicated for diarrhea (infectious, irritable, etc.).

The anti- nutritional function of the fibers is also emphasized by the presence of other elements, some of which are particularly abundant in the skin. We are talking about oxalates and phytates, as well as protease and tannin inhibitors. Products of the combination of oxalic acid and phytic acid with certain minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, etc.), oxalates and phytates cannot be absorbed in the intestine. Protease and tannin inhibitors, on the other hand, act on digestive enzymes by deactivating them and compromising the digestion and absorption of proteins. The anti-nutritional factors are drastically reduced thanks to the effect of cooking.

Note : it is above all the anti-nutritional factors, on the whole, that increase the total fermentation substrate destined for the intestinal bacterial flora. This, metabolizing and reproducing, releases large quantities of gases responsible for abdominal tension, bloating, meteorism and flatulence that characterize legumes.

Due to the high content of minerals and vitamins, red lentils are suitable for feeding the child, the elderly, the pregnant woman and the nurse. Also useful for the sportsman's nutritional balance, red lentils must not, however, constitute a single dish for the most committed athletes. They would require excessively abundant portions, therefore rich in fibers as well as anti-nutritional molecules.

The intake of iron is particularly high, which, although not very bioavailable, can contribute to improving or preventing the condition of iron deficiency anemia. Moreover, the abundance of folate, although thermolabile, is a very useful feature to ensure the health of the fetus during pregnancy.

Red lentils have no contraindication for the vegetarian and vegan diet. They do not lend themselves to the raw food. They are admitted by all philosophies, for example Buddhism, and by all religions, such as Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu.

The average portion of red lentils, dry, as a side dish is 30 g; as a first course instead, it reaches at least 50 g.

Kitchen

Red lentils in the kitchen

The lentils, after being removed from the pod, are cleaned and sorted using sieves, screens, air flows and color selectors.

A very important part of the world production of red lentils undergoes a further processing phase. These are decorticated, divided and polished. In South Asia, this process is called "dhal milling".

The peel of lentils usually represents 6-7% of the total weight of the seed, which is lower than most legumes.

By grinding the seeds, as for cereals, lentil flour can be obtained.

Whole red lentils are cooked exactly like the local lentils. They do not require soaking but must be immersed in cold water for cooking. Cooking can be by drowning or stewing. Hulled lentils require much shorter times and are more delicate; they tend to unravel.

With red lentils you can make first courses (soups and soups), also together with other ingredients such as cereals, tubers and vegetables, or side dishes. Many use red lentils to produce large single dishes (even cold ones).

In countries where red lentils are picked fresh, baking and frying methods are also widespread.