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 .
Dietary Supplementation with Chickpeas for at Least 5 Weeks Results in Small but Significant Reductions in Serum Total and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterols in Adult Women and Men
Aim : To compare the effects of a chickpea-supplemented diet and those of a wheat-supplemented diet on human serum lipids and lipoproteins . Methods : Forty-seven free-living adults participated in a r and omized crossover weight maintenance dietary intervention involving two dietary periods , chickpea-supplemented and wheat-supplemented diets , each of at least 5 weeks duration . Results : The serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly lower ( both p < 0.01 ) by 3.9 and 4.6 % , respectively , after the chickpea-supplemented diet as compared with the wheat-supplemented diet .  Protein ( 0.9 % of energy , p = 0.01 ) and monounsaturated fat ( 3.3 % of total fat , p < 0.001 ) intakes were slightly but significantly lower and the carbohydrate intake significantly higher ( 1.7 % of energy , p < 0.001 ) on the chickpea-supplemented diet as compared with the wheat-supplemented diet . Multivariate analyses suggested that the differences in serum lipids were mainly due to small differences in polyunsaturated fatty acid and dietary fibre contents between the two intervention diets . Conclusions : Inclusion of chickpeas in an intervention diet results in lower serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels as compared with a wheat-supplemented diet
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 .