Getting More Beans in Your Diet Is a Nutritional Win, Science Says

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Getting More Beans in Your Diet Is a Nutritional Win, Science Says
Adding beans, chickpeas, and lentils to your daily diet could offer 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 analyses 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 significant increases in important nutrients that many people lack, such as dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

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

The study 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 pulses) can improve heart health, make it easier to manage weight, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cancer, says Christopher Gardner, PhD, a nutrition researcher and a professor at Stanford Medicine in Palo Alto, California, who wasn’t involved in the study.

People should note that in the study, two servings of beans equaled about a cup, says Dr. Gardner.

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