Beans count

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Study finds beans reduce risk of heart disease

 

March 3, 2000

Web posted at: 11:22 a.m. EST (1622 GMT)

 

SAN DIEGO (CNN) -- Pass the pintos and pile on the peas. A new study suggests

eating beans and other legumes at least four times a week can lower the risk of

heart disease. Researchers from Tulane University presented their findings

Wednesday at the American Heart Association's 40th Annual Conference on

Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.

 

" Over the course of the study, we discovered that the people eating legumes at

least four times each week had a 19 percent lower incidence of heart disease

compared to those who ate legumes less than once a week, " said Lydia A. Bazzano,

one of the study's authors in a statement. Frequent bean-eaters also reduced

their risk of other cardiovascular disease such as stroke by 9 percent.

 

The researchers examined data collected from 11,924 people over 19 years in a

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants were between

25 and 74 years old, and had no known cardiovascular disease.

 

The study found that eating beans improved heart health regardless of age, race

or gender, or other risk factors for heart disease like cholesterol levels,

smoking habits and blood pressure.

 

Researchers aren't sure exactly why beans are so beneficial. " It may be the

protein content, " Bazzano said.

 

She says the fiber in beans also helps improve cholesterol levels.

 

Researchers aren't ready to make a major public health recommendation, but they

say adding beans to your shopping list isn't a bad idea.

 

" Beans come in a lot of different forms, " says Bazzano, " so it's possible to

work beans into almost any diet. "

 

http://cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/03/03/beans/index.html

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