Week #8, October 24, 2013: Rhizobium-Nitrogen-Legumes-Protein: Connecting the Dots...Some New, Some Review...

Did you know that your body needs 20 amino acids to synthesize proteins in order to maintain all of its physiological functions and that out of these 20 amino acids, 9 are essential? In other words, the essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and must be consumed through food sources (Thompson, Monroe, & Vaughan, 2014, p. 218). Did you know that legumes are the only vegetable which contain all of the essential proteins, are the second most important food product next to grains, and are rich in the B vitamins and iron? Did you know that they are extremely beneficial to agriculture as they enrich the soil with their excess nitrogen and equally important to nutrition due to their high content of protein (Aldridge, 2001, p. 523)? Did you know that legumes are also extremely beneficial to your health (e.g. soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, kidney beans, lima beans, mung beans, and peanuts; just to name a few)? Do you know how all of this is possible? It's possible because legumes form a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobia; which is a species of soil bacteria which live inside nodules in the legumes' roots (Aldridge, 2011, p. 524). Rhizobia enter the root hairs, trap nitrogen, and convert it to ammonium ions which is then used by the legume to make amino acid and proteins. Interestingly enough, the bacteria cannot do this without the legume plant. The bacteria also produces more nitrogen than the legume can use and the bacteria produces more nitrogen than the legume can use and consequently it is deposited back into the soil. It's a win-win-win-win situation.

One of Lebanon's leading chefs, Ramzi Shweiry, center, celebrates with others after preparing a massive bowl of falafel, a Middle Eastern dish made from chickpeas and beans, seen in the background, weighing 11,380 pounds (5,173 kg), in Fanar, east of Beirut, Lebanon, in May 2010. AP Images. 

References

Aldridge, S. (2011). Legumes. In B. W. Lerner & K. L. Lerner (Eds.), Food: In context (Vol. 2, pp. 523-525). Detroit, MI: Gale, Cenage Learning.

Thompson, J. L., Ph.D., FACSM, Monroe, M. M., Ph.D.,RD, CSSD, FACSM, & Vaughan, L. A., Ph.D., RD. (2014). The science of nutrition (3rd ed.). Glenview, IL: Pearson Education.