Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans and split peas may reduce cholesterol so much that consumers may be able to get off their cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, but to profoundly alter heart disease risk we may have to more profoundly alter our diet.
Beans, Beans, They’re Good for Your Heart
4.7/5 - (64 votes)
I’ve talked previously about the antidiabetic and antiobesity effects of various phytochemicals in beans, but there are protective effects on the cardiovascular system as well. Plant-specific compounds can have a remarkable impact on the health care system and may provide therapeutic health benefits, including the prevention and/or treatment of diseases and disorders. Antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory, liver protective, cholesterol-lowering, blood pressure lowering, as well as prevention of aging, diabetes, osteoporosis, DNA damage, heart diseases, and other disorders. Those without legumes in their daily diet, for example, may be at quadruple the odds of suffering high blood pressure.
Legumes such as chickpeas have been used to treat high blood pressure and diabetes for thousands of years. Here’s what they can do to cholesterol levels. Researchers took people on a diet high enough in fat to rival the cholesterol levels in the Western world, up around 206. Swapped in chickpeas for some of the grains they were eating, and in five months their cholesterol dropped about 20% to 160, almost down to the target, around 150. A reduction of more than 15% in most of the subjects, and its sustained action during long-term administration, not only indicate a definite benefit, but show that it is superior to many known cholesterol-lowering substances. In a randomized crossover trial, adding two servings a day of lentils, chickpeas, beans or split peas cut cholesterol levels so much that many participants moved below the range for which statin drugs are typically prescribed.
But I want to go back to the study, because they really buried the lead. The participants were started out on a low fat diet. Really low fat, and so their cholesterol started out at 123, well within the safe zone. Only after packing their diet with saturated fat were they able to boost their cholesterol up to typical American levels, which could them be ameliorated by adding chickpeas to their lousy new diet, but it’d be better if they just ate healthy in the first place, or even better healthy and hummus. A healthy diet with lots of legumes.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- A. Alder, H. Burger, J. Davis, A. Dulmanis, B. Hudson, G. Sarfaty, W. Straffon. Carcinoma of prostate: Response of plasma luteinizing hormone and testosterone to oestrogen therapy. British medical journal 1968 1(5583):28.
- M. Bouchenak, M. Lamri-Senhadji. Nutritional quality of legumes, and their role in cardiometabolic risk prevention: A review. J Med Food 2013 16(3):185 – 198.
- A. K. Jukanti, P. M. Gaur, C. L. L. Gowda, R. N. Chibbar. Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): A review. Br. J. Nutr. 2012 108 - Suppl - 1:S11 – 26.
- S. Abeysekara, P. D. Chilibeck, H. Vatanparast, G. A. Zello. A pulse-based diet is effective for reducing total and LDL-cholesterol in older adults. Br. J. Nutr. 2012 108 - Suppl - 1:S103 – 10.
- W. L. Miller, B. F. Crabtree, and D. K. Evans. Exploratory study of the relationship between hypertension and diet diversity among Saba Islanders. Public Health Rep. 1992 Jul-Aug; 107(4): 426–432.
- K. S. Mathur, M. A. Khan, and R. D. Sharma. Hypocholesterolaemic effect of Bengal gram: a long-term study in man. Br Med J. Jan 6, 1968; 1(5583): 30–31.
- K. S. Mathur, M. A. Khan, and R. D. Sharma. Hypocholesterolaemic effect of Bengal gram: a long-term study in man. Br Med J. Jan 6, 1968; 1(5583): 30–31.
Images thanks to Danielle Griscti via Flickr.
I’ve talked previously about the antidiabetic and antiobesity effects of various phytochemicals in beans, but there are protective effects on the cardiovascular system as well. Plant-specific compounds can have a remarkable impact on the health care system and may provide therapeutic health benefits, including the prevention and/or treatment of diseases and disorders. Antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory, liver protective, cholesterol-lowering, blood pressure lowering, as well as prevention of aging, diabetes, osteoporosis, DNA damage, heart diseases, and other disorders. Those without legumes in their daily diet, for example, may be at quadruple the odds of suffering high blood pressure.
Legumes such as chickpeas have been used to treat high blood pressure and diabetes for thousands of years. Here’s what they can do to cholesterol levels. Researchers took people on a diet high enough in fat to rival the cholesterol levels in the Western world, up around 206. Swapped in chickpeas for some of the grains they were eating, and in five months their cholesterol dropped about 20% to 160, almost down to the target, around 150. A reduction of more than 15% in most of the subjects, and its sustained action during long-term administration, not only indicate a definite benefit, but show that it is superior to many known cholesterol-lowering substances. In a randomized crossover trial, adding two servings a day of lentils, chickpeas, beans or split peas cut cholesterol levels so much that many participants moved below the range for which statin drugs are typically prescribed.
But I want to go back to the study, because they really buried the lead. The participants were started out on a low fat diet. Really low fat, and so their cholesterol started out at 123, well within the safe zone. Only after packing their diet with saturated fat were they able to boost their cholesterol up to typical American levels, which could them be ameliorated by adding chickpeas to their lousy new diet, but it’d be better if they just ate healthy in the first place, or even better healthy and hummus. A healthy diet with lots of legumes.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- A. Alder, H. Burger, J. Davis, A. Dulmanis, B. Hudson, G. Sarfaty, W. Straffon. Carcinoma of prostate: Response of plasma luteinizing hormone and testosterone to oestrogen therapy. British medical journal 1968 1(5583):28.
- M. Bouchenak, M. Lamri-Senhadji. Nutritional quality of legumes, and their role in cardiometabolic risk prevention: A review. J Med Food 2013 16(3):185 – 198.
- A. K. Jukanti, P. M. Gaur, C. L. L. Gowda, R. N. Chibbar. Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): A review. Br. J. Nutr. 2012 108 - Suppl - 1:S11 – 26.
- S. Abeysekara, P. D. Chilibeck, H. Vatanparast, G. A. Zello. A pulse-based diet is effective for reducing total and LDL-cholesterol in older adults. Br. J. Nutr. 2012 108 - Suppl - 1:S103 – 10.
- W. L. Miller, B. F. Crabtree, and D. K. Evans. Exploratory study of the relationship between hypertension and diet diversity among Saba Islanders. Public Health Rep. 1992 Jul-Aug; 107(4): 426–432.
- K. S. Mathur, M. A. Khan, and R. D. Sharma. Hypocholesterolaemic effect of Bengal gram: a long-term study in man. Br Med J. Jan 6, 1968; 1(5583): 30–31.
- K. S. Mathur, M. A. Khan, and R. D. Sharma. Hypocholesterolaemic effect of Bengal gram: a long-term study in man. Br Med J. Jan 6, 1968; 1(5583): 30–31.
Images thanks to Danielle Griscti via Flickr.
Republishing "Beans, Beans, They’re Good for Your Heart"
Terms
You may republish this material online or in print under our Creative Commons licence. You must attribute the article to NutritionFacts.org with a link back to our website in your republication.
If any changes are made to the original text or video, you must indicate, reasonably, what has changed about the article or video.
You may not use our material for commercial purposes.
You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that restrict others from doing anything permitted here.
If you have any questions, please Contact Us
Title
Beans, Beans, They’re Good for Your Heart
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
Beans dips like hummus are among my favorite go-to snacks. I like to dip snap peas and red bell pepper slices in them. I’d love to hear everyone’s favorite recipe. You show me yours and I’ll show you mine :)
Canned Beans or Cooked Beans? Click the link to find out!
Beans can help us live longer (Increased Lifespan from Beans), control our blood sugars (Beans and the Second Meal Effect), and help prevent and treat diabetes (Preventing Prediabetes By Eating More and Diabetics Should Take Their Pulses).
What about the purported “anti-nutrient” phytates in beans? You mean the Phytates for the Prevention of Cancer, the Phytates for Rehabilitating Cancer Cells, and the Phytates for the Treatment of Cancer? Phytate-containing foods may also help protect our bones (Phytates for the Prevention of Osteoporosis).
Why not just take cholesterol pills every day for the rest of our life? See my video Statin Cholesterol Drugs and Invasive Breast Cancer.
In 2018 I published this new video: Benefits of Lentils and Chickpeas.
If you haven't yet, you can subscribe to our free newsletter. With your subscription, you'll also get notifications for just-released blogs and videos. Check out our information page about our translated resources.
Previous Video
Next Video
