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Amazing Health Benefits of Legumes

by | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 | Foods, Nutrition

Do you need an inexpensive food staple that will lower your cholesterol, provide satiety, and improve your blood glucose levels? All bean varieties are rich in carbohydrates, resistant starches, potassium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins, contain almost no sodium or fat, and are an excellent source of protein, 17-30% content by weight (when dried). Additionally, legumes provide insoluble and soluble fiber. Most pulses score low on the glycemic index, which is helpful for individuals with prediabetes, diabetes, and obesity. This blog article explains how incorporating their frequent consumption improves one’s health.

Improve Gut Health

Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical processes occurring in the body. The gut microbiota (GM) influences metabolism and homeostasis. Additionally, GM helps to shape our mental health, immunity, blood pressure, the lungs, and, of course, digestive health and the efficiency with which we burn calories. Dietary habits and even short-term indulgences affect the composition and activity of microbes residing in the gut and consequently influence our metabolism of food and calories.

A high-fat diet, particularly one high in saturated fatty acids, can lead to chronic low-grade tissue inflammation, which makes the gut barrier more permeable to inflammatory compounds and toxins. In contrast, a plant-based diet rich in grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables tends to be beneficial for human health by promoting the development of diverse and stable gut microflora. Consuming a variety of whole plant foods increases the population of two beneficial gut microbes: Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.1 These microbes contribute to anti-inflammatory and anti-pathogenic effects, as well as offer cardiovascular protection.2 As for legumes, studies suggest that they increase the number of gut bacteria that improve energy utilization.3 One study showed that daily consumption of 1 cup of beans improved gut microbiome diversity and composition within 8 weeks. A return to the usual diet without beans resulted in a reversal of positive changes in bacteria within 8 weeks.4

Better Protection from Disease

Legumes have fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), a type of oligosaccharide composed of short fructose chains. FOS exert a prebiotic effect on beneficial gut bacteria. Prebiotics are foods (typically high-fiber foods) that act as food for human microflora. There is an additional benefit, though. When gut bacteria ferment the oligosaccharides, short-chain fatty acids are produced. These short-chain fatty acids help reduce the growth of harmful bacteria by preventing them from attaching to the gut wall.5 Oligosaccharides also help maintain the integrity of the body’s barrier membranes not only in the gut, but also in the lungs, and even the skin, and help protect the body from allergies and infections.6 By adding oligosaccharide-rich foods like garlic and onion, you get additional benefits.

Promote Appetite Control and Healthy Weight

The dietary consumption of pulses is associated with reduced risk of obesity, weight loss, and improved satiety7 8 9 A meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized studies found that “The inclusion of dietary pulses in a diet may be a beneficial weight-loss strategy because it leads to a modest weight-loss effect even when diets are not intended to be calorically restricted.”10

Results from 8229 adults in the NHANES 1999–2002 survey, another cross-sectional study, suggested that diverse bean consumption was linked to lower body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference, reduced systolic blood pressure, and a reduced risk of obesity.11

In another study, researchers followed 1421 men and women for an average of 6 years and found that high consumption of pulses among women (16.7 g/MJ vs. 3.93 g/MJ) was associated with a 48% lower risk of developing abnormal glucose metabolism and a smaller increase in BMI.12

Promote Greater Satiety

Legumes are the best source of resistant starch followed by grains. Resistant starch produces more satiety, or satisfaction, from a meal and is additionally associated with less fat storage after that meal.13 14 15

High-fiber foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains increase the satiety hormone, GLP-1. Additionally, chewing legumes slowly increases GLP-1.16 Consumption of resistant starch is associated with lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.17

Reduce Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Obesity

Oxidative stress, in which the body produces excessive amounts of free radicals, and inflammation are hallmark features of obesity. The inclusion of non-soybean legumes 4 days/week in the nutritional treatment of obesity by a moderate calorie-restricted diet could reduce oxidative stress in obese individuals when compared to a legume-free diet similar in calories. 18

Moreover, meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials shows that non-soy legumes can improve the inflammatory profile in obesity.19 The frequent consumption of non-soy legumes improves adiponectin levels, which are often depressed in obesity and type 2 diabetes.19 Adiponectin is an insulin-sensitizing hormone that also exerts cancer-fighting and anti-inflammatory effects.

Soybeans and black beans contain an anti-inflammatory phytochemical, genistein. This phytochemical activates PPAR-γ, which has a prominent role in the suppression of inflammatory genes.20 PPAR-y also improves the ability of the cells to respond to insulin and increases the production of the hormone adiponectin. As previously mentioned, adiponectin combats inflammation, improves insulin sensitivity, and has cancer-preventive effects. 21

Boost Cardiovascular Health

Legumes have considerable amounts of the amino acid arginine. This valuable amino acid is the precursor to nitric oxide. In moderation, nitric oxide opens up blood vessels, inhibits platelet stickiness, and promotes cardiovascular health. Pulses contain high amounts of resistant starches, and one of the end-products of resistant starches fermentation is propionate, a short-chain fatty acid. Propionate inhibits cholesterol synthesis in the liver.22

Studies show that a non-soy legume-rich diet can encourage major improvements in arterial function and reduce total and LDL serum cholesterol levels.23

For example, by improving blood flow to the skeletal muscles in the limbs, daily non-soy legume consumption reverses vascular impairment due to peripheral artery disease.24 Forty-one randomized studies show that soybean or soy protein consumption can improve cardiovascular health, too. Soy protein supplementation is linked to a significant reduction in mean serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride, and a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.25

Improve Diabetes

Type 1 resistant starch (found in grains, seeds and legumes) improves the ability of the cells to respond to insulin and may improve fat burn.26 27  Resistant starch has been associated with the increase of certain gut bacterial populations that have been negatively correlated with type 2 diabetes.28  Studies suggest the resistant starches improve mineral absorption, especially calcium and magnesium.28 To get the most amount of resistant starch, let grains cool before eating them.

Regular consumption of legumes/beans is an important and useful behavioral dietary strategy to reduce risk and improve comorbidities of cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes.29 Black beans are high in anthocyanins and have been shown to improve glycemic control and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.30

In a cohort study involving 3,349 older adults at high risk for cardiovascular disease, researchers found t hat higher lentil intake (8.88 g/d vs. 3.77 g/d) was associated with a 33% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over 4.3 years of follow-up.31 A randomized crossover study showed that consuming 0.5 cups of canned pinto beans daily over 8 weeks led to significant reductions in total cholesterol and LDL-C in a mildly to moderately insulin-resistant US population.32

A total of 121 participants with type 2 diabetes were randomized to either a low-GI (glycemic index) legume diet that encouraged participants to increase legume intake by at least 1 cup per day, or to increase insoluble fiber by consumption of whole wheat products, for 3 months. What were the results? The low GI-legume diet significantly improved hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, as well as reductions in blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, and waist circumference.33

A randomized crossover clinical trial examined the effects of two intervention diets on inflammatory biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of thirty-one adult participants with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to one of two diets for 8 weeks: a legume-free therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) diet or a non-soya legume-based TLC diet. The non-soya legume-based diet was identical to the legume-free TLC diet, except that in place of two servings of red meat, participants consumed different types of cooked non-soya legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas, peas, and beans, for three days each week.34

After the intervention period, there was a four-week washout period. Then the participants switched to the alternate diet for another 8 weeks. The concentrations of inflammatory markers were measured at baseline and after each intervention period.The results showed that compared to the legume-free TLC diet, the non-soya legume-based TLC diet significantly reduced levels of three inflammatory markers in overweight diabetic patients. Replacing two servings of red meat with non-soya legumes in the isocaloric TLC diet for three days per week led to a reduction in plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, IL-6, and TNF-α) in overweight diabetic patients, independent of any weight change.

Cooking Tips:

Soaking and cooking beans increases protein and starch digestibility, thereby improving bioavailability and nutritional quality.35 36  If you have a problem with flatulence, we recommend soaking and rinsing the beans several times within 24 hours, freezing them, and then pressure cooking them. This process will remove lectins.

Conclusions

Legumes offer a wide range of benefits in the prevention and treatment of common diseases. Even if you do not consume a plant-based diet, substituting legumes for meat 4 times a week may improve your health. Pressure cooking legumes after they have been soaked and rinsed greatly improves their digestibility. Lentils, mung beans, black-eyed peas, Edamame (green ripe soybeans), and pinto beans are the easiest to digest. Kidney beans are among the most difficult to digest. Legumes are versatile and can be added to soups, salads, plant-based burgers, and casseroles. We include some links to our favorite legume recipes below.

Tasty and Basic Bean & Grain Casserole

Black Bean Burgers

Delicious Vegetarian Baked Beans

Navy Bean Soup: Anti-Diabetic Soup

Vegetable Black Bean Enchiladas (12 corn tortillas)

Hearty Chickpea Soup with Vegetables

Indian Lentil Stew

Hummus Chickpea Spread

Tasty Tofu Croquettes

Chickpea a la King Supreme

Marinated Garbanzo Salad

Lentil-Barley Loaf

Soy-Garbanzo Soufflé

Delicious Armenian Lentil Soup!

Soy or Garbanzo Waffles (Anti-Diabetic)

Sources: 

 

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