Treatment effects on apolipoprotein B and non-HDL cholesterol were not observed .
INTERPRETATION Our findings suggest that dietary pulse intake significantly reduces LDL cholesterol levels .
BACKGROUND Evidence from controlled trials encourages the intake of dietary pulses ( beans , chickpeas , lentils and peas ) as a method of improving dyslipidemia , but heart health guidelines have stopped short of ascribing specific benefits to this type of intervention or have grade d the beneficial evidence as low .
We conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) to assess the effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction .
Pinto Bean Consumption Reduces Biomarkers for Heart Disease Risk
Objective : To determine effects of daily intake of 1/2 cup pinto beans , black-eyed peas or carrots ( placebo ) on risk factors for  coronary heart disease ( CHD ) and diabetes mellitus ( DM ) in free-living , mildly insulin resistant adults over an 8 week period . Methods : R and omized , crossover 3 × 3 block design . Sixteen participants ( 7 men , 9 women ) received each treatment for eight-weeks with two-week washouts .  Fasting blood sample s collected at beginning and end of periods were analyzed for total cholesterol ( TC ) , low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) , high density lipoprotein cholesterol , triacylglycerols , high-sensitivity C-reactive protein , insulin , glucose , and hemoglobin A1c . Results : A significant treatment-by-time effect impacted serum TC ( p = 0.026 ) and LDL ( p = 0.033 ) after eight weeks . Paired t-tests indicated that pinto beans were responsible for this effect ( p = 0.003 ; p = 0.008 ) . Mean change of serum TC for pinto bean , black-eyed pea and placebo were −19 ± 5 , 2.5 ± 6 , and 1 ± 5 mg/dL , respectively ( p = 0.011 ) . Mean change of serum LDL-C  for pinto bean , black-eyed pea and placebo were −14 ± 4 , 4 ± 5 , and 1 ± 4 mg/dL , in that order ( p = 0.013 ) . Pinto beans differed significantly from placebo ( p = 0.021 ) . No significant differences were seen with other blood concentrations across the 3 treatment periods . Conclusions : Pinto bean intake should be encouraged to lower serum TC and LDL-C , thereby reducing risk for CHD
Treatment effects on apolipoprotein B and non-HDL cholesterol were not observed .
INTERPRETATION Our findings suggest that dietary pulse intake significantly reduces LDL cholesterol levels .
BACKGROUND Evidence from controlled trials encourages the intake of dietary pulses ( beans , chickpeas , lentils and peas ) as a method of improving dyslipidemia , but heart health guidelines have stopped short of ascribing specific benefits to this type of intervention or have grade d the beneficial evidence as low .
We conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) to assess the effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction .