Athens, Greece: People with the highest consumption levels of legumes may be at lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD), but not stroke, researchers state in a study published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. A consumption level of 400g/week provided the optimal cardiovascular benefit.
Legumes are the fruits or pods of plants belonging to the botanical families Leguminosae or Favaceae, which include peanuts, soybeans, green/dry beans and peas, lentils, chickpeas, clover, broad beans, and lupine. There is an interchangeable use of the terms "legumes" and "pulses," although they are not synonymous. All pulses are considered legumes, but not all legumes can be regarded as pulses.

Legumes have been increasingly recognized for their unique nutritional role. They are a decent source of B vitamins, fiber, protein, polyphenols, and minerals, and also, they are considered low-glycemic-index food.
Androniki Naska, University of Athens, Athens, Greece, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis to sum up, the evidence on the association between legumes consumption and the risk of CVD overall, CHD, and stroke. They also identified optimal intake levels for reduced disease risk.
For this purpose, the researchers systematically searched the online databases up to March 2022 to retrieve interventions and observational studies. Random-effects models computed pooled relative risks (RRs), comparing extreme intake categories. Also, one-stage dose-response meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models.
The study demonstrated the following findings:
Screening of 22 831 articles resulted in 26 eligible observational studies (21 prospective cohort and five case-control studies).
On comparing extreme categories of intake, legume intake was inversely associated with cardiovascular disease (n=25: RR=0.94) and CHD (n=16: RR=0.90) but not a stroke (n=9: RR=1.00).
Further evidence was found for an inverse dose-response association with CHD, raising in magnitude up to a consumption of 400g/week, following which the benefit seems to level off.
The study found an inverse association between high legume intake and cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease but not stroke. Regular weekly legume consumption was linked with a reduced risk of CHD.
"At consumption higher than 400g/week, the benefit for CHD appears to level off," the researchers conclude. "There is a need for further studies to better understand the role of legumes ins stroke subtypes."
Reference:
The study, "Intake of legumes and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis," was published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2022.10.006