Regular consumption of beans not only significantly improves the quality of nutrition thanks to the healthy nutrients they contain, but also has a positive effect on weight.
A new study involving experts from the University of Minnesota sought to identify dietary patterns high in beans to compare their nutrient intake and diet quality with typical dietary patterns of people who do not consume beans. The results are published in the “Nutrition Journal”.
Where does the examined data come from?
For the current research, the team used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001 to 2018. The experts used a so-called cluster analysis to determine the participants’ bean consumption.
In total, the researchers identified five patterns of bean consumption, four of which contained both canned and dried beans. Bean consumption was generally defined as consumption of kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, and/or pinto beans.
Significantly healthier dietary patterns through bean consumption
It found that a dietary pattern with regular consumption of kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas and pinto beans was associated with significantly higher diet quality scores compared to a diet that did not contain beans, the team reports.
Regular consumption of beans is also associated with significantly higher intakes of several nutritional deficiencies (choline, alpha-linolenic acid, folic acid, iron, magnesium and vitamin E) compared to people who did not consume beans, the experts add.
Higher intake of fiber, potassium and calcium
The team found that participants who regularly consumed beans consumed significantly more healthy nutrients (including fiber, potassium and calcium) than participants who did not consume beans.
Compared to participants who did not eat beans, the bean dietary pattern studied, one in which 13.5 percent of total daily kcal came from beans, or about two servings of beans per day, was significantly associated with a lower body mass index ( BMI), a lower body weight and a smaller waist circumference, according to the experts.
The bean dietary pattern examined two, in which around 9.5 percent of total daily kcal came from beans or around 1.7 servings of beans were consumed per day, was also significantly associated with lower body mass index (BMI), body weight and Waist circumference connected, the researchers add.
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Regular consumption of beans recommended
The results show that a diet rich in canned and dried beans is associated with significantly better diet quality and higher intakes of nutrients in which many people are deficient.
According to the team, this also includes nutrients that play an important role in public health. The experts add that dietary patterns that include regular bean consumption were also associated with better weight outcomes and that dietary recommendations should support increased bean consumption. (as)
