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 .
A pulse-based diet is effective for reducing total and LDL-cholesterol in older adults.
Our purpose was to determine the effects of a pulse-based diet in individuals 50 years or older for reducing CVD risk factors . A total of 108 participants were  r and omised to receive pulse-based foods ( two servings daily of beans , chickpeas , peas or lentils ; about 150 g/d dry weight ) or their regular diet for 2 months , followed by a washout of 1 month and a cross-over to the other diet for 2 months . Anthropometric measures , body composition and biochemical markers ( i.e. serum LDL-cholesterol ( LDL-C ) , as the primary outcome , and other lipids , glucose , insulin and C-reactive protein ) were assessed before and after each diet phase . A total of eighty-seven participants ( thirty males and fifty-seven females ; 59·7 ( sd 6·3 ) years , body mass 76 ( sd 16 ) kg ) completed the study . Compared with the regular diet , the pulse-based diet  decreased total cholesterol by 8·3 % ( pulse , 4·57 ( sd 0·93 ) to 4·11 ( sd 0·91 ) mmol/l ; regular , 4·47 ( sd 0·94 ) to 4·39 ( sd 0·97 ) mmol/l ; P < 0·001 ) and LDL-C by 7·9 % ( pulse , 2·93 ( sd 0·84 ) to 2·55 ( sd 0·75 ) mmol/l ; regular , 2·96 ( sd 0·86 ) to 2·81 ( sd 0·83 ) mmol/l ; P = 0·01 ) . In a sub- analysis of individuals with high lipid levels at baseline ( twenty individuals with high cholesterol ) , the pulse-based diet  reduced cholesterol by 6 % compared with the regular diet ( pulse , 5·62 ( sd 0·78 ) to 5·26 ( sd 0·68 ) mmol/l ; regular , 5·60 ( sd 0·91 ) to 5·57 ( sd 0·85 ) mmol/l ; P = 0·05 ) . A pulse-based diet is effective for reducing total cholesterol and LDL-C in older adults and therefore reduces the risk of CVD
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 .