Beans really are good for the heart, according to a new study from the UK and Norway.
The researchers discovered that a higher intake of legumes – such as beans, peas and lentils – as well as soy foods – including tofu, edamame and miso – were linked to a lower risk of high blood pressure.
Otherwise known as hypertension, high blood pressure affects an estimated 1.4 billion adults aged 30–79 worldwide, and if left untreated can lead to heart attack, heart failure and stroke.
But the new study suggests that simply eating 170g (6oz) of legumes or around 70g (2.5oz) soy per day could significantly lower your risk of developing this condition.
“These findings are important because elevated blood pressure is a major risk factor for several circulatory disorders,” senior author Dr Dagfinn Aune, research fellow at Imperial College London and associate professor at Oslo New University, told BBC Science Focus.
“Putting more emphasis on plant-based protein sources like legumes and soy in the diet is a low-cost and sustainable alternative that could reduce the burden of hypertension, and potentially the risk of hypertension-related diseases,” he added.
The research team pooled data from 300,000 adults across 12 different studies, investigating the links between high blood pressure and eating either legumes or soy.
Five of the studies came from the US, and the rest came from China, Iran, South Korea, Japan, France and the UK, with cohorts ranging from 1,000 to 90,000 people.
In the new research, the scientists grouped participants according to how much legumes or soy they ate and then measured the risk of high blood pressure in each group.
They found that eating more soy and legumes was linked to a lower risk of hypertension, with the optimal level being 170g of legumes and 60–80g soy per day. Adults who ate this amount were around 30 per cent less likely to develop high blood pressure compared to those not eating any legumes or soy at all.
And, compared to the low intake groups, people with the highest intake of legumes were 16 per cent less likely to develop hypertension, and for soy, 19 per cent.
“We hope that people will be inspired to try to incorporate more legumes and soy in their own diets,” said Aune.
This study was based on observational data, so the scientists’ findings don’t prove that eating more legumes and soy will reduce your risk of high blood pressure. However, the link was so strong that the study authors said a causal relationship was likely.
Previous research has pointed to potential reasons why. Legumes and soy contain a range of heart-healthy nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, fibre and isoflavones (antioxidants) which might, together, protect blood vessels.
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