Legume proteins as sustainable alternative proteins: composition, processing modifications, functional properties, and therapeutic potential in women’s health amid global protein shortage

Global demand for protein is rising in parallel with worsening nutritional insecurity, creating an urgent need for sustainable and health-promoting protein sources. Legume proteins represent a promising alternative to animal-derived proteins, offering affordability, sustainability, and a favorable nutritional profile rich in essential amino acids and bioactive compounds. Recent advances in physical, chemical, and enzymatic processing have enabled structural modifications that enhance the functionality, digestibility, and bioavailability of legume proteins, thereby expanding their potential applications in human health. Importantly, postmenopausal women face elevated risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hormone-related cancers, and immune-metabolic disorders-conditions which have limited effective treatments. While emerging studies indicate that optimized legume proteins and their derived peptides, within the complex legume food matrix, may contribute to cardioprotective, osteogenic, anticancer, and immune-regulatory effects, a comprehensive synthesis linking these innovations with women's health outcomes is lacking. This review addresses this gap by (i) summarizing legume protein composition and processing innovations, (ii) evaluating their functional enhancements and disease-modulating potential, and (iii) discussing challenges in large-scale production, stability, and delivery systems. Finally, we outline future directions for clinical validation, sustainable processing, and integration into precision nutrition frameworks. This review underscores why legume proteins warrant focused attention as a scalable solution to global protein shortages and as a novel strategy for improving women's health outcomes.