Pulses are most commonly known as the dried beans and the peas, and provide both protein and taste to soups and various dishes.

Additionally, they are a cheap yet healthy source of protein and can help solve global malnutrition and hunger better than any other food grains, according to The New York Academy of Sciences in New York City.

The nutritional value of dried peas and beans were major topics at a recent conference in New York City, which was sponsored by The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science in New York City and Bush Brothers & Company of Knoxville TN, which sells bean products, according to Yahoo Health.

As a nutrient-rich food, pulses can be considered as a source of dietary proteins and minerals like zinc and iron. When compared to beef, pulses such as chickpea provides the consumer with more than 14 g of protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 12 g fiber, 2.5 mg of zinc and 5 mg of iron.

Certain pulses like garbanzo beans are good for sustainable agriculture and pulses in general have minimal requirements in term of irrigation and soil nutrient.

The health benefits of pulses and beans go beyond providing basic nutrients. They are also known for preventing chronic illnesses like diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure and hypertension among others.

"I write a dietary prescription for my patients," says John Sievenpiper, MD, PhD, associate professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto in Ontario.

Pulses, if consumed daily, can also help in managing weight; the obese can lose weight and the underweight people can gain the needed pounds.

The dried peas and beans can also act as  a natural source of probiotics, according to Mark Manary, MD  a pediatrician at Washington University in St. Louis's Institute for Public Health.

"Nutrition is in the middle of a busy intersection of nutrients, protein, and gut health," he explains.