What will happen if we dont consume pulses?
We all know pulses are tiny, but how many of us really know the fact that pulses are mighty also?
Edible seeds of plants belonging to the legume family are called pulses. It is worthy to note that pulses are of various shapes, sizes and colours etc. Various examples of pulses are Bengal gram, Toor dal, chickpeas, kidney beans or rajma etc. There are many nutrients present in the pulses such as folate, zinc, iron, magnesium, fibres etc. Being low in fat and rich in fibre content, intake of pulses would help us to manage or control our blood sugar levels.
If we don`t consume pulses, then these would happen
Muscle loss & weakness:
Without consuming pulses, vegetarians would find it difficult without proteins. It must be noted that pulses are the best forms of plant proteins. By not consuming pulses regularly, we could get muscle loss and weakness.
Poor digestion and gut issues:
The digestive health would get affected by not consuming pulses that are rich in dietary fibres. Intake of pulses would keep gut microbes healthy plus supports immunity and digestion etc. When we consume less fibres then there are more chances of getting issues like constipation, bloating and gut based issues etc. We could get colo-rectal cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues etc.
Iron deficiency and weakened immunity:
It is known that pulses have folate, iron plus others like fibres, magnesium, zinc and potassium etc. By consuming pulses, we could avoid anaemia in us. Not only that, the presence of magnesium and potassium would keep heart health in good shape. Immunity would get improved by the presence of zinc. We could get health complications due to weakened immunity if we do not consume pulses.Please take care.
More pressure on water and land:
Not only humans benefit by eating pulses but also the pulses are also good for the environment. It must be taken into account that the nitrogen fixing ability would enrich the soil and would make the farming more sustainable. Land use and water use would be put to more pressure by the farmers in the absence of pulses as they would depend more on animal farming etc. This could lead to more environmental damage.
Unhealthy eating habits:
Many nutritious and high fibre based snacks like roasted chana, cheela and dhokla etc would not be consumed by us if there are n no pulses in the world. The people might eat popcorn, potato chips etc that won`t be good for their health in the long term. Lack of pulses would lead to high carbohydrate based processed foods and unhealthy eating.
Increased risk of diabetes:
It is known that pulses are low in GI or glycemic index and could be consumed by those who have diabetes. By not eating pulses, these diabetics would lose chances of managing their high blood sugar levels in the natural way. In the absence of pulses, many would start eating high GI foods like refined grains etc resulting in metabolic disorders, weight increase, type 2 diabetes etc.
Increase in weight:
Balance of proteins, complex carbs and fibres are provided by intake of pulses. If there are no pulses available, then people might have to eat refined carbs such as white rice and bread etc. This would increase the calorie intake by us leading to weight gain. So, please be careful.
