Adding beans and legumes may lead to improvement

Moscow, Idaho, October 3, 2024: New research showing the association between greater consumption of beans and legumes and better nutrient intake and higher diet quality in American adults will be presented at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition (FNCE) 2024 in Minneapolis. , MN. The poster session will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 from 10:45 – 11:45 CT at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Researchers evaluated the impact of increased consumption of beans and legumes in the typical US diet on deficits in nutrient intakes and diet quality outcomes. According to the findings, dietary patterns rich in beans and legumes are associated with significantly higher diet quality scores and higher intakes of missing nutrients, including nutrients of public health concern. Pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. Legumes grow in pods and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and include beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils. For this study, canned and dried kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans (beans) were included in the composite.

Impact on Nutrient Deficiency

Analyzes using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2018) modeled the inclusion of one and two servings of beans (as noted above) in adults. The results show that greater bean consumption is associated with significant increases in several missing nutrients, including dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and choline.

Effect on Diet Quality

Additionally, adding 1 and 2 servings of beans per day to the typical US diet significantly improved overall diet quality as assessed by the USDA’s Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015). In fact, HEI-2015 total scores were 15% higher with additional servings of beans and 19% higher with 2 servings of beans than the typical US diet.

This evaluation showed that beans contributed to a significant increase in daily dietary fiber intake in both young and older adults.^IV This is critical since fewer than 1 in 10 U.S. adults meet fiber recommendations to maintain optimal digestive health and prevent chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and some cancers.[i] Additionally, the majority of U.S. adults fall short of meeting potassium recommendations.[ii] According to the American Heart Association[iii]^,[iv]“Foods containing potassium may help control blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium, and the more potassium you eat, the more sodium is processed from the body.”

“This research clearly shows that eating beans and legumes is good, but eating more is better,” says study author Yanni Papanikolaou of Nutritional Strategies Inc. “Beans and legumes are excellent sources of fiber, folate and potassium and are excellent plant sources.” Protein, which, like other protein foods, also provides iron and zinc.” The study was funded by Cannedbeans.org on behalf of Bush’s Best and the Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses.

Beans and legumes are underconsumed in the United States; More than 80% of the population falls below recommendations.[v] Consumption data shows that beans, peas and legumes are consumed in relatively small amounts, averaging 0.1 cup per day.[vi] Recent research published in April and June of 2024 shows that dietary patterns rich in canned and dried pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, and/or chickpeas are associated with significantly higher diet quality scores.[vii]^,[viii] The highest diet quality scores are associated with a 24% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, a 31% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, a 20% reduction in the risk of stroke, a 23% reduction in the risk of diabetes, and a 6% reduction in the risk of cancer. [ix]

“This research supports growing evidence that consumption of beans and legumes may have many nutritional and public health benefits,” said USA Pulses CEO Tim McGreevy. “In fact, legumes are so nutritious that they were recently listed on DietaryGuidelines.gov as among the highest sources of potassium, iron, and fiber (the three most important nutrients) in the latest health professional resources.”

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Poster Presentation Details

Title: Higher Pulse Consumption in Children is Associated with Higher Diet Quality and Increased Intake of Nutrients

Authors: Yanni Papanikolaou, Joanne Slavin, Sophia Papanikolaou, Victor L. Fulgoni, III
Session Date and Time: Tuesday, October 8, 10:45 – 11:45 CT

Location: Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

All abstracts will be published in our journal. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics September 2024 FNCE Summary Supplement.

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ABOUT PULSES DEVELOPMENT COALITION

The Coalition for the Advancement of Pulses (CAP) is an initiative led by the American Pulse Association (APA) with support from the US Dried Peas and Lentils Council (USADPLC), the US Dried Beans Council (USDBC) and the Pulse Foundation. The CAP coalition represents a collective of pulse growers, processors, producers and related organizations. CAP is committed to increasing legume consumption in the United States by increasing research on the nutritional benefits of legumes and raising awareness of the many health benefits of legumes. For more information, visit usapulses.org or contact CAP@usapulses.org.

ABOUT CANNEDBEANS.ORG

Cannedbeans.org, sponsored by Bush’s Best®, is a category-building marketing campaign that aims to promote the universal health benefits of canned beans, regardless of brand. Packed with fiber, protein and iron, canned beans make it easy to add more plants to your diet and help people live longer, healthier lives. For more information, check out the latest tools, recipes, and resources below to learn more about the benefits of canned beans at www.cannedbeans.org.

ABOUT NUTRITION AND DIETETICS ACADEMY

Representing more than 112,000 certified nutrition and dietetics practitioners, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the health of the nation and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education, and advocacy.

[i] US Department of Agriculture; US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, 9th edition; 2020. Available online: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf (accessed April 4, 2023).

[ii] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2019. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25353. Available online: http://nap.edu/25353 (accessed 17 September 2023).

[iii] American Heart Association. How Can Potassium Help Control High Blood Pressure? Available online: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-press/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-press/how-potassium-can- help -control-high-blood pressure (accessed 20 September 2023).

[iv] American Heart Association. A Primer on Potassium. Available online: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/potassium (accessed 20 September 2023).

[v] US Department of Agriculture; US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, 9th edition; 2020. Available online: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf (accessed April 4, 2023).

[vi] Proprietary data calculated by Bush’s Best and based in part on data reported by NIQ via the Syndication database for the Bean category (branded only) for Total US xAOC (Food, Drug sales) for the Trailing 52 weeks ending 4/29/2023. , Mass, Club, Dollar and Military channels) according to the NIQ standard product hierarchy. Copyright © 2023, Nielsen Consumer LLC.

[vii] Papanikolaou, Y., Slavin, Papanikolaou, S., J., Fulgoni, VLIII, Adding more beans to the typical US diet may lead to increased intake of deficient nutrients and a higher diet quality in young and older adults, Maturitas, Volume 186, August 2024, 108012

[viii] Papanikolaou, Y., Slavin, J. & Fulgoni, V.L. Adult dietary patterns with increased bean consumption are generally associated with greater nutrient deficiencies, lower added sugars, improved weight-related outcomes, and better diet quality. Nutr J 2336 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-024-00937-1

[ix] ML McCullough, D. Feskanich, MJ Stampfer, EL Giovannucci, EB Rimm, FB Hu, D. Spiegelman, DJ Hunter, GA Colditz, WC Willett. Diet quality and risk of major chronic disease in men and women: Progress towards better nutritional guidance. I’m J Clin Nutr. 76 (2002) 1261-1271.