Make Beans Part of Your Heart Healthy Diet

Source: Tufts University
February 8, 2002 (Reviewed: February 22, 2004)

In some cultures, the big meal on New Year's Day must include black-eyed peas. That's a good start, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which reports that a diet that includes a healthy helping of legumes helps guard against heart disease.

Good food choices

Researchers from Tulane University in Louisiana accessed diet and health information collected in the early 1970's on more than 9500 participants of a large US health survey. Of particular interest in this study was the number of times per week the participants ate legumes -- dried beans and peas, peanuts, and peanut butter. The researchers then kept track of the men and women over a 19-year period, noting who in the group developed heart disease during that time. They found that those who ate at least 4 servings of legumes per week were about 20% less likely to suffer from heart disease when compared with those who ate them less than once a week.

Heart healthy fiber

These results make sense, knowing what we now know about legumes. Beans of all kinds are good sources of soluble fiber -- also found in oats, barley, and some vegetables -- that seems to help lower blood cholesterol. Beans are also high in folate, a B vitamin that helps to control blood levels of a protein called homocysteine. Left unchecked, high levels of homocysteine are associated with a greater risk of heart disease.

One more benefit of beans is that they supply the protein that meat provides without all the extra fat. Everyone in this early 1970's study consumed more saturated fat than is considered healthy today, but the bean eaters had markedly lower levels of blood cholesterol. They were also less likely than others in the study to suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes.

Give legumes a try

The findings of this study mirror the American Heart Association's advice to consumers to include more plant-based foods in their meals. Legumes don't have a prime spot on most American plates, but there are ways to include more in meals without doing a complete dietary overhaul. For instance, start a meal with lentil or split pea soup, spread toast with peanut butter instead of margarine, serve baked beans as a side dish, or try a vegetarian chili made with beans rather than meat. If you don't know a pinto bean from a lentil but want to learn more, check out this bean guide that includes serving suggestions and recipes (see link below).

Source

• Legume consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women. LA. Bazzano, J. He, LG. Ogden,  et al., Arch Intern Med., 2001, vol. 161, pp. 2573--2578

Related Links
How to Increase the Soluble Fiber in Your Diet
Good News About 'Good' Diets
Studies Back the Benefits of a 'Heart Healthy' Diet
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