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 changes SCFA profiles in fecal fermentations, bacterial populations of the lower bowel, and lipid profiles in blood of humans.
Beans improve serum lipids and may reduce the risk of colon cancer by increasing colonic SCFA formation . We assessed whether pinto bean consumption affects in vitro fecal bacterial fermentation and production of SCFA , colonic bacterial population s , and serum lipids .  Adults grouped as premetabolic syndrome ( pre-MetSyn ) ( n = 40 ) or controls ( n = 40 ) were r and omly assigned to consume either a bean entrée [ 1/2 cup ( 130 g ) of dried , cooked pinto beans ] or an isocaloric chicken soup entrée daily for 12 wk . Measurements included in vitro fecal fermentation of various resistant starch substrates , fecal bacterial speciation , and blood lipids . When expressed as a difference between baseline and treatment , propionate production from fecal material fermented in vitro with bean flour was higher ( P < 0.02 ) in volunteers consuming beans  than in those consuming soup . During the treatment period alone , bean consumption did not affect propionic acid production with any substrate but lowered ( P < 0.02 ) butyric acid production when cornstarch was the substrate . In all volunteers , bean consumption decreased fecal production of isovaleric ( P < 0.05 ) and isobutyric ( P < 0.002 ) acids from cornstarch by as much as 50 % . Of the bacterial population s tested , only Eubacterium limosum was affected by bean consumption and was approximately 50 % lower than in those consuming soup . Beans lowered serum total cholesterol ( P < 0.014 ) by approximately 8 % in the controls and 4 % in the pre-MetSyn group . Bean consumption lowered serum HDL-cholesterol ( P < 0.05 ) and LDL-cholesterol ( P < 0.05 ) in both groups without affecting serum triglycerides , VLDL cholesterol , or glucose . This study provides evidence that bean consumption can improve lipid profiles associated with cardiovascular disease , but does not clearly confer health benefits related to colon cancer risk
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 .