Why Pulses are important for human - nutritional factor?
Pulses are rich sources of proteins (20-25 g/100 g), the limiting amino acid being methioniize. However, protein quality can be improved by mutual supplementation with cereals. Soybean has exceptionally high protein content (43 g/ 100 g). Besides, they have carbohydrates in fair amounts.
Pulses are fairly rich in iron, with soybean, cowpea, black gram and horse gram being exceptionally rich. Sprouting or germination of legumes, a practice common in our households, brings about beneficial effects. Vitamin C, which is practically absent in dry pulses, increases in significant amounts upon sprouting; folic acid also increases threefold. Interestingly, sprouting brings about a decrease in flatus-forming compounds originally present in non-germinated pulses. Sprouted pulses require a much shorter time to get cooked. The antinutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitors, are inactivated by sprouting, thus rendering them more easily digestible.