Lentils

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Thinking skills in teen girls³

  Teen girls who ate iron-fortified lentils did better on thinking tasks than those who ate plain lentils.

• Benefit

  Arsenic in the body⁴

  In people, eating selenium-rich lentils helped the body pass more arsenic out in urine.

• Benefit

  Heart health⁵

  Lentils and other seeds like soy may help protect the heart, though scientists are still learning how.

• Open question

  Blood sugar response⁷

  In healthy people, boiled lentils flattened blood sugar more than white bread, but drying them raised it.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar after meals⁸

  In people, swapping some carbs for lentils in muffins, chili and soup lowered blood sugar and insulin spikes after eating.

• Benefit

  Protein quality of meals⁹

  In five healthy young men, lentil methionine was 69% available, and adding rice to lentils improved protein building.

• Open question

  Calorie counts on labels¹¹

  Lentils and chickpeas may give you fewer calories than the label says.

• Benefit

  Iron levels in teenage girls¹⁴

  Teenage girls who ate iron-fortified lentils lost less iron from their bodies than those who ate plain lentils.

• Open question

  Iron levels in teen girls¹⁵

  Scientists are testing whether teen girls who eat iron-fortified lentils have better iron levels and memory.

• Benefit

  Feeling full after meals¹⁶

  In people, swapping rice for green lentils in chili made them feel fuller, but lentils in muffins did not.

• Open question

  Stomach emptying speed¹⁷

  In dogs and people, eating lentils before a later meal slowed how fast the stomach emptied, but blood sugar stayed the same.

• Open question

  Bowel habits and blood fats¹⁸

  In men eating lentils, stools got heavier, but lentils did not change blood fats or how fast food moved through.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Gut infection and diarrhea²³

  In lab studies, lentil extract reduced inflammation and toxin production in gut cells infected with a diarrhea-causing bug.

• Open question

  Protein and fiber in a meat-free burger²⁴

  Lentils, peas and black beans made a burger high in protein and fiber, though cooking lowered the fiber.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Fiber and protein benefits¹⁹

  Lentils are rich in fiber and protein, which may help with weight, blood sugar, and gut health.

• Benefit

  Heart and blood sugar health²⁰

  Lentils hold natural compounds that studies link to lower cholesterol and a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Heavy metals in food²¹

  Lentils can contain nickel and other heavy metals, and scientists say more work is needed to lower how much people take in.

Allergies and intolerances

These are about people with an allergy, an intolerance or coeliac disease. The signal is about the ingredient itself, and these are about the person eating it, so the signal does not count them.

• Childhood food allergy¹³

  Some children are allergic to lentils, with itchy mouth and hives, and many also react to chickpeas.

Single cases of misuse or overdose

One person or one incident, such as an accidental overdose or a mistake in a kitchen or factory. They are real, but a single case does not show what happens at normal amounts, so the signal does not count them.

• Severe allergic reactions to food⁶

  A girl had severe allergic reactions to lentils, even breathing in lentil soup fumes.

How it’s made and used

• Diet tracking markers¹⁰

  Eating lentils left certain compounds in urine that could one day help tell whether people ate them.

• How many people eat them¹²

  In US adults, few ate lentils on a given day, and intake rose over time.

• Mineral absorption from food²²

  In lab studies, boiling and fermenting iron-rich lentils changed how much iron, zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium and sulfur could be absorbed.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.