Question

What are pulses? Name two pulses.

Answer 1

Hint: Pulses are the edible seeds of a plant that belong to the legumes under the Fabaceae family. They are a major part of a vegetarian diet. In total, there are 11 different types of pulses.

Complete answer:
The pulses belong to the legume family and they grow in pods and come in various shapes, colors, and sizes. The pulses are a great source of proteins and fibers and contain more proteins than any other plant product. Since they are low in fat, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and rich in minerals and vitamins therefore they form an important source of a healthy diet.

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations recognizes 11 different types of pulses: dry beans, dry peas, dry broad beans, chickpeas, lentils, pigeon peas, Bambara peas, etc. The pulses are suggested as a part of a diet for the diabetic patient, heart patient, and even for the one who wants to lose weight.

Although pulses are one of the difficult crops to grow, pulses also promote sustainable agriculture, as pulse crops help decrease greenhouse gases, increase soil health, and use less water than other crops. Moreover, the pulses naturally fix nitrogen in the soil atmosphere; sometimes they also release phosphorus in the soil which reduces the need to add synthetic fertilizers in the soil. Examples of pulses are peas, gram, green gram, black gram, red lentils, peas, chickpeas, etc.

Note: The pulses are rich in vitamin b folate and rich in soluble fibers. They also contain 8 essential amino acids and have a low glycemic index. They are now getting recognition worldwide as a part of the healthy diet.