Getting more beans in your diet is a nutritional benefit, science says

Adding beans, chickpeas and lentils to your daily diet could provide major health benefits, according to research presented at the recent Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics conference in Minneapolis.

Researchers used data from the 2001–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate the benefits of eating more beans and other legumes. The analyzes modeled what the average American diet would look like with the addition of one and two servings of beans in adults.

The scientists concluded that this change would result in a significant increase in important nutrients that many people lack, such as dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium and iron.

More beans would also improve overall nutritional quality, as measured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Health Eating Index.

The research was funded by Cannedbeans.org on behalf of Bush’s Best and the Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses.

This analysis adds to the substantial evidence that legumes (beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, chickpeas and legumes) can improve heart health, make it easier to maintain weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes type 2 and cancer. says Christopher Gardner, PhD, nutrition researcher and professor at Stanford Medicine in Palo Alto, California, who was not involved in the study.

People should keep in mind that in the study, two servings of beans equaled about one cup, says Dr. Gardner.

“For context, Americans (on average) eat a fraction of that: 0.1 cups per day,” he says.

Americans don’t eat enough fiber

Fewer than 1 in 10 American adults meet fiber recommendations.

What’s so great about the nutrient? Foods high in fiber and protein, such as beans, help us feel satisfied or full, says Julie Garden-Robinson, PhD, professor and food and nutrition specialist at North Dakota State University in Fargo. As part of an overall diet that is low in calories and fat, beans can help people control their weight, says Dr. Garden-Robinson, who was not involved in the study.

The soluble fiber in beans can improve cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and gut health, says Elaine Hon, RD, a registered dietitian in the Stanford Medicine Diabetes Care program in Palo Alto, California.

“The short-chain fatty acids produced by the fermentation of dietary fiber in legumes help support healthy microbial populations and diversity in the gut,” says Hon, who was not involved in the study.

Dietary fiber intake also promotes digestion, in part by helping to prevent constipation.

Beans can ‘crowd out’ less healthy foods from your diet

“I think people benefit from eating legumes and beans, both through the nutrients provided and through the ‘displacement’ of less healthy foods,” says Garden-Robinson.

Gardner says that when weighing the health benefits of beans, you should consider “instead of what.”

For example, replacing beans with white bread, added sugar or red meat would have a clear nutrient benefit, he says.

‘But if you replace beans with nuts, the difference is not so clear. Nuts are good sources of fiber and unsaturated fats,” says Gardner.

Adding beans and other legumes to your diet may be easier than you think

Most people in the world have consumed large amounts of beans for centuries, especially when you consider all the different species in the legume family, Gardner says.

Black beans in Latin American dishes such as tacos and beans and rice
Chickpeas in Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus
Indian dals and curries made with legumes such as lentils
African gado gado or other dishes with spicy peanut sauce (peanuts are technically a legume, not a nut)
Tofu and tempeh in Asian dishes, made from soy beans

Because beans and other legumes have a neutral taste, they provide a “blank canvas” as a protein- and fiber-rich ingredient, says Garden-Robinson.

Hon recommends stocking your pantry with a variety of canned beans and chickpeas so it’s easier to add them to your daily plan.

“That makes it convenient and readily available to add to a green salad or mix into a pasta salad,” she says.

Getting more beans in your diet is a nutritional benefit, science says

By Sheisoe

You Missed

Thane police arrest family members for alleged harassment leading to woman’s suicide | Thane News

CDU-Vorstand in Saxony stimulates the Sondierung with BSW and SPD | Politics

Chamomile tea: Wundermittel für Beauty, Schlaf und Herz

Neues Seniorenheim will live a fruitful life in a year

Getting more beans in your diet is a nutritional benefit, science says

By Sheisoe

Related Post

Thane police arrest family members for alleged harassment leading to woman’s suicide | Thane News

CDU-Vorstand in Saxony stimulates the Sondierung with BSW and SPD | Politics

Chamomile tea: Wundermittel für Beauty, Schlaf und Herz

You Missed

Thane police arrest family members for alleged harassment leading to woman’s suicide | Thane News

CDU-Vorstand in Saxony stimulates the Sondierung with BSW and SPD | Politics

Chamomile tea: Wundermittel für Beauty, Schlaf und Herz

Neues Seniorenheim will live a fruitful life in a year