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Eat Beans Weigh Less
A presentation at the recent Experimental Biology Conference revealed that people who include beans in their diets have healthier diets overall, lower body weights, and reduced risk of obesity. Researchers used data from the National Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (1999-2002) to study the associations between bean consumption, nutrient intake, and certain health parameters among children and adults.
Children who ate beans not only had greater intakes of fiber (more than one-third higher), magnesium, and potassium, but showed a trend toward reduced risk of being overweight. Bean-consumers between the ages of 12 and 19 weighed 7 pounds less and had nearly an inch smaller waist circumference than their non-bean-consuming peers.
Similar results were found among adults. Those who ate beans frequently averaged 6.5 pounds less and had a 22 percent reduced risk of being obese.
References
- Papanikolaou Y, Fulgoni SA, Fulgoni VL, Kelly RM, Rose SF. Bean consumption by adults is associated with a more nutrient dense diet and a reduced risk of obesity. Presented at: The Experimental Biology Conference; April 1-5, 2006; San Francisco, Ca.
- Fulgoni VL, Papanikolaou Y, Fulgoni SA, Kelly RM, Rose SF. Bean consumption by children is associated with better nutrient intake and lower body weights and waist circumferences. Presented at: The Experimental Biology Conference; April 1-5, 2006; San Francisco, Ca.
