Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Legumes and weight loss

The Study
A meta-analysis was recently published that compared the weight loss impact of diets containing legumes to diets without them. Data from 21 trials were included. For those of you not familiar with them, examples of legumes are black beans, pink beans, pinto beans, lentils and hummus. Diets containing legumes reduced weight by .75 lbs.  The average duration of the trials was 6 weeks. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2016; 103:1213-23.

Take Home Message
Legumes are an extremely healthy dietary choice and it looks like they may be particularly good for your waistline. An extra three-quarters of a pound lost in 6 weeks may not sound like much, but if you kept it up for a year, this little habit can have a very nice impact on your weight.

Legumes are high in protein and fiber, which tend to promote satiety. They are also low glycemic and tend to promote a stable blood sugar. This may also act to decrease hunger and food intake.  The subjects in the studies included in this analysis averaged one serving of legumes per day.  Black beans, pink beans, pinto beans, lentil soup, and hummus are just a few ways to get legumes into your diet, which is a great idea if you are looking to improve your health and your weight.

 

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