Adding a daily cup of beans to your diet may be a simple way to support heart and metabolic health, according to new research presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting.
In a 12-week study of adults with prediabetes, participants who ate chickpeas saw a significant drop in total cholesterol, while those eating black beans showed reduced inflammation, both important markers for lowering the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
“Our study found that bean consumption helped significantly lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation in people with prediabetes, although glucose levels were not changed,” said Morganne Smith, a doctoral candidate at Illinois Institute of Technology.
Participants were assigned to eat one cup per day of either black beans, chickpeas or rice (as a control), with blood samples collected at multiple points to measure cholesterol, inflammation and glucose markers.
Chickpeas lowered total cholesterol from 200.4 to 185.8 mg/dL. Black beans reduced interleukin-6, a marker of inflammation, from 2.57 to 1.88 pg/mL. No significant changes in blood sugar were observed.
“These findings could be used to inform dietary guidelines, clinicians or public health programs focused on preventing heart disease and diabetes,” Smith said.
Researchers emphasized that beans — whether canned, dried or frozen — are a cost-effective and widely accessible food. Smith recommended easy swaps such as blending beans into soups, adding them to salads or pairing them with grains like rice or quinoa.
The next phase of the study will explore how beans may affect the gut microbiome and its role in metabolic health.
This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.