Beneficial effects of legumes in gut health

•Legumes exert beneficial effects in gut health.•Legumes contain bioactive peptides with anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties.•Resistant carbohydrates are modulators of intestinal microbiota and motility, glucose homeostasis and cholesterolemia.

Proteins and carbohydrates from legumes are major components of the human diet and have been reported to exert beneficial effects in gut health. Proposed health benefits are related to both the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, inflammatory diseases and cancer. Resistance to digestion seems to be a prerequisite to exert their beneficial properties, either at local or systemic level. In vitro and in vivo approaches have demonstrated the potential of Bowman-Birk inhibitors and lunasin as anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic agents within the gastrointestinal tract. On the other hand, resistant carbohydrates to digestion, that comprises soluble and insoluble fibre, resistant starch and oligosaccharides, are major responsible of the low glycemic index of legume foods. Recent findings have demonstrated the key role of these dietary carbohydrates as modulators of intestinal microbiota composition and bowel motility, glucose homeostasis and cholesterolemia.