Beans Benefit Heart Health
Adding just half a cup of beans a day to the diet can significantly reduce LDL (or "bad") cholesterol levels, according to a new meta-analysis published by the Canadian Medical Association.
Researchers analyzed data from 26 randomized control trials, which included 1,037 participants, and found that LDL cholesterol dropped an average of 5 percent after consuming half a cup of beans per day over an average of six weeks. They go on to suggest that adding beans to the diet can be a simple way to benefit heart health.
Ha V, Sievenpiper JL, de Souza RJ, et al. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ. Published ahead of print April 7, 2014.
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