Nutritional value

Abstract:

The importance of lentils as important dietary sources of macro and micronutrients essential for human welfare has been recognized since ancient times. Lentils provide sufficient amounts of most essential amino acids to meet the nutrient requirements, although they are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids like most legumes. Lentils also contain fair amounts of other essential nutrients like minerals, vitamins and complex carbohydrates. In contrast, lentils exhibit a considerable amount of non-nutritional compounds like trypsin inhibitors, tannins or phytic acid that are able to interfere with the availability of several nutrients. Different processing conditions that range from the traditional soaking/cooking to germination, fermentation, or several thermal treatments, are usually employed to improve the organoleptic properties of lentil seed and its nutritional value through reducing the negative effect of the above mentioned non-nutritional components. In addition, technological treatments may significantly enhance the functional and beneficial health properties of the processed lentil food products, making consumption of this legume an appealing alternative for today's world

Año de publicación:

2007

Keywords:

Fuente:

scopus