Bean Cuisine Cuts Heart Risk
To legume or not to legume, that is the question. The answer, according to a large-scale, long term investigation at Tulane University in New Orleans, is that these podded plant foods-peas, beans, alfalfa, lentils and peanuts, can lower your risk of heart disease.
Researchers compared diets light in legumes (one serving per week) vs. those moderately loaded with them (four servings per week). After 19 years, subjects on the latter plan had lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, fewer diagnoses of diabetes and hypertension, and 22 percent reduction in their risk of coronary heart disease, the nation’s No. 1 killer. Previous studies have indicated that soybean protein and dietary fiber reduces cholesterol and improves insulin resistance.
Legumes are high in bean protein and water-soluble fiber; and they’re rich in folate, which reduces blood levels of hormocystein, a risk factor for heart disease. They’re also low in sodium and high in potassium, calcium and magnesium.