Adults who consume it every day weigh on average 2 kilos less.
“We should eat more of it“! Often forgotten when preparing meals, legumes such as chickpeas, white beans or broad beans are nevertheless very interesting foods from a nutritional point of view. Rich in fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and essential minerals, they provide energy throughout the day, are digested slowly, contribute to good cardiovascular health and promote the feeling of satiety, that is to say they avoid quickly having to refill hunger They are also provided with vegetable proteins, a great ally for vegetarians. But that’s not all, American and Canadian researchers have recently highlighted their positive effects on weight loss…
In study published in the scientific journal Nutrition Journal, scientists analyzed data from the National Health and Examination Survey collected between 2001-2018 and were able to compare the diets of more than 42,000 adults. They were then able to divide them according to 5 models of consumption of dried beans (fresh or canned):
► Group 1 who never ate dried beans (this included kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans or pinto/pink beans)
► Group 2 which had a high bean consumption (beans represented 13.5% of daily calories ingested)
► Group 3 which had moderate bean consumption (beans represented 9% of daily calories ingested)
► Group 4 which had a moderate consumption of beans (9%) and a high consumption of prepared meals or fast food
► Group 5 which had moderate bean consumption (9%) and high cake/candy/sweets consumption
At the end of their analysis, the researchers found that adults who ate dried beans every day (between 150 and 200g of cooked beans) had a lower BMI (on average of 1 point), a lower average weight (-2 kilos ) and an average waist circumference (-2 cm) compared to adults who never ate it. Group 5 (who ate a lot of sweets) also had a lower BMI, weight and waist circumference but the results were a little less significant. In contrast, this reduction in BMI, weight and waist circumference was not at all visible in adults who ate beans and lots of convenience foods. In other words, dried beans have benefits on weight and waist size only if they are included in a balanced diet and as raw as possible.
“Thanks to their high content of choline, alpha-linolenic acid, folate, iron, magnesium, vitamin E, dietary fiber, potassium, calcium (non-exhaustive list), legumes (beans, chickpeas, peas and lentils) are nutritional powerhouses : their inclusion as part of a healthy diet confers countless health benefits, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and intestinal protective effects as well as improved weight outcomes“, commented the researchers in a statement. Nutritionists recommend consuming legumes “more often”, at least 2 cooked 100g servings per week.