Eating
one serving a day of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can significantly reduce
"bad cholesterol" and therefore the risk of cardiovascular disease, a
new study has found.
However,
most people in North America would have to more than double their consumption
of these foods known as pulses to reach that target, said the researchers at
St. Michael's Hospital.
The
study, led by Dr. John Sievenpiper of the hospital's Clinical Nutrition and
Risk Factor Modification Centre, was published today in the Canadian Medical
Association Journal.
Dr.
Sievenpiper said that by eating one serving a day of pulses, people could lower
their LDL ("bad") cholesterol by five per cent. He said that would
translate into a five to six per cent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular
disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
One
serving of pulses is 130 grams or ¾ cup, yet North Americans on average eat
less than half a serving a day. Pulses have a low glycemic index (meaning that
they are foods that break down slowly) and tend to reduce or displace animal
protein as well as "bad" fats such as trans fat in a dish or meal.
"We
have a lot of room in our diets for increasing our pulse intake to derive the
cardiovascular benefits," Dr. Sievenpiper said. "Pulses already play
a role in many traditional cuisines, including Mediterranean and South Asian.
As an added bonus, they're inexpensive. Since many pulses are grown in North
America, it's also an opportunity to buy and eat locally and support our farmers."
Dr. Sievenpiper's meta-analysis reviewed 26 randomized
controlled trials that included 1,037 people. Men had greater reduction in LDL
cholesterol compared with women, perhaps because their diets are poorer and
cholesterol levels are higher and benefit more markedly from a healthier diet.
Some study participants reported stomach upset such as bloating, gas, diarrhea
or constipation but these symptoms subsided over the course of the study.
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