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Include beans in your diet

Written by: Fran Berkoff, QMI Agency
Oct. 28, 2012

Beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils can significantly reduce blood pressure, blood glucose levels and cardiovascular disease risks for patients with Type 2 diabetes, St. Michael's Hospital researchers say.

When we talk about nutrition super-stars, beans or legumes are always high on the list.

A new study from Toronto researchers has given one more reason to include them regularly in your diet.

When we speak of legumes, we're referring to beans, including black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, white beans, kidney beans, fava beans, plus chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and lentils. Often referred to as pulses, these foods are great because they have a huge nutrition profile, are versatile and inexpensive. They are a staple in a vegetarian diet and for non-vegetarians, they are tasty as a main course meat alternative, in a side dish, soup or salad.

Nutritionally speaking, they each have a unique profile, but in general they are rich in protein (3/4 cup/175 ml cooked kidney beans has 12 grams, equivalent to 1.5 ounces of meat), fibre (3/4 cup/175ml lentils has 11 grams), folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. Much of the fibre in legumes is the soluble kind linked to lowering cholesterol and heart disease risk. They also are a source of low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates, helpful for people with diabetes and they contain a variety of plants chemicals that offer protection against a variety of diseases.

This recent study, published online in the Achives of Internal Medicine suggests that legumes as part of a low GI diet can improve blood sugar control and reduce heart disease risk in people with type 2 diabetes. This randomized control study looked at the effect of eating more legumes on blood sugar, blood fats and blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes. People were put on a low GI diet that had them either increase legumes to at least one cup a day or to increase insoluble fibre by eating whole wheat products over a three month period. Those who ate the legumes had good blood sugar results and also a reduction in their heart disease risk through a reduction in blood pressure.

The study authors write that a low GI diet has been previously shown to help blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes and legumes are known to have a very low GI. But few studies have looked at the amount of legumes that must be used to improve blood sugar control and none have looked at their effect on cardiovascular risk. For people with type 2 diabetes, having good blood sugar control and also good blood pressure are both important factors for healthy management.

Whether you have diabetes or you are just trying to find ways to incorporate more healthy foods in your diet, adding legumes is a good step. Here are ten ways to get you started:

• Make a lentil, bean and barley or split pea soup
• Cook a vegetarian chili with kidney beans and black beans.
• Enjoy a mixed bean salad made with black beans, red and white kidney beans and chickpeas.
• Add beans to tacos, quesadillas and burritos
• Add kidney beans to your pasta sauce
• Toss chickpeas into your Greek salad
• Make hummus or another bean dip to use as a dip or a spread on bread.
• Add cooked beans into leafy green salads or sautéed leafy greens
• Add cooked chickpeas or beans to couscous or other grain dishes
• Cook pasta fagioli - pasta with beans

 

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