Research shows beans and chickpeas consumption boost shortfall nutrient intake

07 Jun 2024 --- Researchers from Nutrition Research & Regulatory Affairs, the University of Minnesota and Nutrition Research collaborated on a study that found that eating beans and chickpeas, whether canned or dried, is responsible for a greater intake of shortfall nutrients such as potassium, dietary fiber, choline, magnesium, iron, choline and folate.

The current research confirms a growing body of evidence about the benefits of including pulse crops in a healthy dietary pattern. The researchers used data from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES), 2001-2018, to model the inclusion of one or two servings of beans and chickpeas in adults to test its effect on the typical US dietary pattern. They examined the impact on shortfall nutrient intakes and diet quality.

“The key takeaway from this latest research is to eat more pulses. It is clear that dietary strategies that promote increased canned, dry bean and pulse crop consumption may prove to have numerous public health benefits for younger and older US adults and should be considered when drafting new authoritative nutrition recommendations,” says Yanni Papanikolaou, vice president at Nutritional Strategies and co-author of the study.

Gut protective effects
Adding one or two servings of beans or chickpeas daily to the diet significantly increases overall quality in younger and older adults. The study and the higher diet quality scores were published in Maturitas, an open-access, monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering midlife and post-reproductive health.

Diet quality was up to 16% greater with one additional serving and 20% higher with two additional servings, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores and relative to the typical US dietary pattern. The HEI measures diet quality, assessing how well a set of foods aligns with key recommendations and dietary patterns published in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The highest HEI diet quality scores are associated with a 24% decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, a 31% reduced risk of coronary heart disease, a 20% lowered risk of stroke, a 23% decreased risk of diabetes and a 6% reduced risk for cancer.The latest research, published in Maturitas, shows that as little as two servings of beans and chickpeas significantly improve diet quality.

These new findings advance the body of peer-reviewed studies that show the consumption of pulses — dry beans, chickpeas, peas and lentils — has multiple health benefits, including cardiovascular, metabolic and gut protective effects, improved weight outcomes, low-grade inflammation and potential role in immune-related disease risk management.

“We know that the majority of adults are not meeting established recommendations for beans, peas and pulses. All it takes is the addition of one or two servings of canned pulses like dry beans or chickpeas to help close nutrient gaps and improve diet quality,” says Papanikolaou.

Daily dietary fiber
The current scientific evaluation shows that pulses like beans substantially increase dietary fiber intake. The finding is critical because fewer than one in 10 US adults meet the fiber recommendations to maintain optimal digestive health and prevent chronic diseases.

“This research underscores the fact that pulses are nutritional powerhouses. Adding one to two servings of pulse crops to your diet has significant health benefits for adults,” says Tim McGreevy, CEO of USA Pulses.

The most recent collaboration between the National Cancer Institute and the USDA to update the HEI diet quality scale has documented the nutrient density of beans and chickpeas and their contributions to diet quality.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 and the USDA Choose My Plate indicate that dry beans, chickpeas, peas and lentils can be part of the vegetable or protein groups. The Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses and Canned Beans funded the study.

Meanwhile, to meet the Dutch government’s 2030 national target of the average diet consisting of 60% plant-based and 40% animal-based proteins as proposed by the National Protein Strategy and the Bean Deal, an additional activation campaign, Bean Meal, was set in motion.

By Inga de Jong

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