Pulse legumes—like lentils, chickpeas, soybeans and black beans—are an extremely concentrated source of beneficial fiber types that are known to increase the growth of probiotic bacteria in our guts, which is how they earn foundational food status. Plus, they’re typically great sources of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, biotin, folate, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium and zinc! They contain a good amount of protein and typically are very high in polyphenols. In a 2021 study, eating 2½ or more servings of legumes per week reduced all-cause mortality by 17 percent, and cardiovascular disease by 14 percent, compared to eating only two servings per month, also lowering cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer incidence and cancer mortality. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.01.016 #nutrivore #legumes #ranking