legumes

Definition

A category of plants, including beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas, whose seeds are enclosed in pods and are often used as a nutrient-dense substitute for animal-based protein.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin word legumen, meaning a bean or vegetable collected by plucking, which traces back to the verb legere, meaning to gather or pick.

In the news

The article uses legumes as a key example of the specific, minimally processed plant foods that should replace animal products to achieve a healthy biological response. It highlights that the health impact of a diet depends heavily on choosing whole foods like these over refined alternatives.

Short-Term Animal-Product Restriction Rapidly Alters Human Proteogenomic Profiles

Bioengineer.org

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