Latest news with #legumes
Medical News Today
03-06-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Cholesterol: Daily cup of beans may lower levels, improve heart health
Could a daily cup of beans improve cholesterol and heart health? A new study investigates. lacaosa/Getty Images A new study explores the metabolic benefits of consuming legumes in people with prediabetes. Specifically, the scientists found that daily consumption of chickpeas and black beans has measurable benefits on inflammation and cholesterol levels. The researchers recently presented their findings at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition. A recent 12-week study involving participants with prediabetes found that a simple dietary change may have significant benefits. The researchers found that, compared with consuming white rice, eating black beans or chickpeas was associated with reduced markers of inflammation, and consuming chickpeas was linked to reduced blood cholesterol. Because the study was relatively small and of short duration, scientists need to carry out more research to replicate the results. The findings have also yet to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal but were recently presented at NUTRITION 2025, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, in Orlando, Florida. However, because black beans and chickpeas are relatively cheap and considered healthy by experts, this type of intervention is worth exploring further. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes affects an estimated 1 in 10 people in the United States , the majority of whom have type 2 diabetes. This condition is marked by an inability to control levels of glucose in the blood. When blood glucose is elevated, it damages healthy tissues. Treatment can successfully manage type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of damage, but there is no cure. Prediabetes is not a guarantee that an individual will go on to develop type 2 diabetes, but the risk is elevated. Unlike type 2 diabetes, however, prediabetes can be reversed, so scientists are exploring interventions that could help this population. Because nutrition plays a pivotal role in the development of type 2 diabetes, many scientists are focused on dietary interventions For their recent study, the researchers recruited individuals with prediabetes. They wanted to understand whether black beans and chickpeas, consumed daily, could influence biomarkers of health after 6 and 12 weeks. In total, the study involved 72 people. They randomized them to one of three groups, consuming 1 cup of white rice, chickpeas, or black beans each day. At the start of the study, and at weeks 6 and 12, the researchers took blood samples to measure levels of: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: 'good' cholesterol. 'good' cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: 'bad' cholesterol. 'bad' cholesterol. C-reactive protein: A compound released in response to inflammation. A compound released in response to inflammation. Interleukin-6 (IL-6): Another biological marker for inflammation. They also measured glucose metabolism and blood glucose levels. At week 12, those consuming chickpeas had a significant reduction in total cholesterol levels. Meanwhile, those eating black beans had reduced levels of the inflammatory marker, IL-6. However, the scientists did not identify any significant changes in glucose metabolism. Alongside the positive results linked to legume intake, there was also a more surprising finding: At the 12-week mark, the group consuming white rice had significantly lower levels of LDL 'bad' cholesterol than at the start of the study. This was a small, relatively brief study, so researchers need to carry out more work to understand the full benefits of these legumes on people with prediabetes. According to the authors of the study, they plan to continue this line of investigation. In particular, they want to focus on the links between metabolic health and the gut microbiome. Chickpeas and black beans are in the legume family, alongside peas, lentils, and other beans, like pinto, kidney, and lima beans. Rich in protein and fiber, research has found associations between legume consumption and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. There's also some evidence that consuming legumes may be associated with a reduction in cancer risk. Medical News Today reached out to Maddie Gallivan, RD, a registered dietitian who was not involved in the recent study. We asked how legumes might reduce cholesterol. 'The soluble fiber in these legumes helps to lower cholesterol by reducing how much is absorbed into the bloodstream,' she explained. Soluble fiber helps reduce cholesterol in a number of ways. For instance, it binds to cholesterol in the gut, carrying it through the intestines and out of the body in stool. According to Gallivan, 'Beans and chickpeas are excellent examples of plant-based protein sources that are also packed with fibre. They also help you keep fuller for longer.' 'When eaten as part of a diverse, plant-rich diet,' she continued, 'beans and chickpeas can support a healthy gut microbiome. A variety of fibres from whole plant foods — like vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, pulses, legumes, nuts, and seeds — will feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut, encouraging them to flourish and support overall health.' Legumes like chickpeas and black beans are an important staple in many parts of the world, but they are relatively unpopular in the West. Although widely available and low cost, research suggests that the average U.S. adult spends less than $5 per year on legumes. 'There are a lot of ways to incorporate beans into your regular diet as a cost-effective way to support overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases,' explained author Morganne Smith, a doctoral candidate at Illinois Institute of Technology, and presenting author for this study. 'You can blend them to add some thickness to a soup base, add them as a salad topping, or pair them with other grains like rice or quinoa,' says Smith. According to Gallivan, they're also 'a great alternative to red and processed meats, because they can easily be added to meals like curries, stews, and casseroles.' However, she also adds a note of caution for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): 'It's important to take a gradual approach to increasing legume intake and seek personalized advice from a dietitian to manage symptoms effectively.' MNT reached out to Federica Amati, PhD, MPH, head nutritionist at ZOE, a science and nutrition company. Amati, who was not involved in the study, was not surprised that eating chickpeas and beans 'helps with cardiometabolic health markers.' 'They are also good for the environment,' she told us. 'Eat more of them.' Cholesterol Diabetes Heart Disease Cardiovascular / Cardiology Nutrition / Diet
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Save Money At The Grocery Store By Rethinking Your Go-To Proteins
Protein is having a moment right now: There's no shortage of people hoping to add more to their diet so they can build muscle or lose weight (thanks to the belief that protein makes you feel full for longer). If you're looking to eat more protein, there's a good chance your first thought is to add more meat to your diet. However, if you're looking to save some dollars, buying a lot of meat probably isn't the way to do it. In past years, eggs might have been a decently cheap bet, but with eggs at their highest prices ever in 2025, they're verging on luxury food territory. Fortunately, there are other, more affordable options out there. Arguably, the cheapest option is to go for legumes, which include beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, and peanuts — they actually fall into the same food category. As a bonus, they're good for the environment, requiring relatively few resources to produce. If you're really protein-maxing, soybeans have the most protein per cup, but they're not easy to cook with as they're light on flavor and don't absorb much, either. Most other beans or lentils have similar amounts of protein of around half an ounce per cup; lentils have slightly more, and butter beans have a bit less. But peanuts win the day at over an ounce per cup — and that extends to peanut butter, too (despite persistent myths about it being unhealthy), making your PB&J a protein hit. Read more: Cottage Cheese Brands, Ranked Worst To Best If you're not feeling like beans, don't worry: There are other options. Your next stop is probably dairy, although be warned that not all dairy products are made equal when it comes to protein content. Butter and cream have very little, while cottage cheese and certain yogurts are packed with it. Greek yogurt and skyr (an Icelandic yogurt) are considered the best sources of protein. Cheese falls somewhere in the middle; milk is only an OK source of protein. It has just a fraction of the protein that cottage cheese has. Price-wise, the cheapest Greek yogurts and cottage cheeses are close on a per-ounce basis (11 to 12 cents an ounce at Walmart) — a cup of either one will give you more protein than a cup of most beans. And unlike beans, you can use them more easily in desserts: cottage cheese chocolate mousse, anybody? Beyond dairy and legumes, whole grains can also be good sources: Rolled oats are probably the best option, as other protein-heavy whole grains like wild rice and buckwheat can be several times more expensive. Finally, maybe you're considering whether it's cheaper to just get straight-up protein powder. This is a tough call, since prices vary enormously. You can't expect to get much below about a dollar per serving (and a lot more for better brands). A pound of lentils goes for about $2, and a cup (a bit under half that) is one serving, so the price can be competitive — but of course, you can't cook with protein powder. Read the original article on Chowhound.
