A nationwide study of nearly 47,000 American adults found that greater consumption of beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas was associated with significantly lower odds of cardiometabolic disease, adding to evidence that fiber-rich plant foods may support cardiovascular and metabolic health.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Americans who regularly consume greater amounts of beans, lentils, chickpeas and other pulses have significantly lower odds of developing the combined health conditions classified as cardiometabolic disease, according to new research examining nearly two decades of national nutrition and health data. The findings suggest that increasing consumption of these inexpensive, nutrient-dense foods could be an important component of dietary strategies addressing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The study, published in Current Developments in Nutrition, analyzed 46,939 adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018. Researchers found that each additional ounce-equivalent of pulses consumed daily was associated with 19% lower odds of cardiometabolic disease after accounting for demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors and overall dietary quality.
The investigation examined several major health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, stroke and diabetes. Although the results identified a statistically significant association between higher pulse consumption and lower overall cardiometabolic disease prevalence, the researchers emphasized that the observational findings do not establish that eating more pulses directly prevents these conditions.
The analysis was conducted by researchers affiliated with William & Mary and the University of Washington, along with an independent researcher. The six-member team included Tara Kamalakantha, Catherine Zavela, LuAnn K. Johnson, Stephanie P.B. Caligiuri, Adam Drewnowski and Zach Conrad. Their findings were published online May 15, 2026, ahead of inclusion in the journal’s June issue.
The research addressed a gap in previous nutritional studies by evaluating the relationship between pulse consumption and several cardiometabolic conditions in a nationally representative sample of American adults. Earlier investigations had produced mixed findings, leaving uncertainty about whether the potential benefits observed in smaller populations applied more broadly across the United States.
Pulses are the edible dried seeds of legumes and include dry beans, chickpeas, lentils and dry peas. Unlike many other protein-rich foods, they provide substantial amounts of dietary fiber alongside plant protein, resistant starch, vitamins, minerals and naturally occurring plant compounds.
These nutritional characteristics have attracted attention because cardiometabolic diseases frequently involve overlapping risk factors, including abnormal blood glucose regulation, elevated cholesterol, excess body weight and high blood pressure. Dietary patterns that emphasize fiber-rich plant foods have long been investigated for their potential influence on these interconnected metabolic processes.
The new findings add evidence supporting that relationship while also revealing how little of these foods many Americans consume. Average daily pulse intake among participants was only 0.42 ounce-equivalents, with a median of 0.25 ounce-equivalents, indicating that consumption was low across much of the population.
The researchers evaluated participants’ usual intake using the National Cancer Institute’s established dietary assessment method, which estimates habitual food consumption while accounting for day-to-day variations. This approach allowed investigators to examine longer-term dietary patterns rather than relying exclusively on what participants reported eating on a single day.
Statistical models incorporated several factors that could independently influence disease prevalence, including age, sex, income, educational attainment, smoking status, body mass index and overall diet quality. Accounting for these variables helped researchers examine whether pulse intake remained associated with cardiometabolic health after considering broader differences among participants.
The relationship persisted in the fully adjusted analysis, producing an odds ratio of 0.81 for overall cardiometabolic disease. That corresponds to 19% lower odds associated with each additional ounce-equivalent of daily pulse consumption, rather than proof of a 19% reduction in an individual’s probability of developing disease.
When researchers excluded body mass index from their statistical adjustments, the association became slightly stronger. Each additional ounce-equivalent of pulses was associated with 21% lower odds of cardiometabolic disease and 20% lower odds of diabetes.
Those findings raise questions about the relationship between pulse consumption, body weight and metabolic health. Dietary fiber and protein can contribute to satiety, potentially influencing how much food individuals consume, while other components of pulses may affect blood glucose and cholesterol regulation.
However, the study did not establish that weight management explained the observed association. Removing body mass index from a statistical model changes which factors are being accounted for, and the resulting difference cannot by itself demonstrate a biological mechanism.
The researchers also examined cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, stroke and diabetes separately. Some initial statistical models identified lower odds of individual conditions among adults consuming more pulses, but those associations generally weakened after additional dietary and behavioral adjustments.
In the most comprehensive models, the association for overall cardiometabolic disease remained statistically significant, while the findings for individual disease categories did not consistently reach that threshold. This distinction suggests that the combined outcome provided stronger evidence than the separate estimates for heart disease, stroke or diabetes.
The pattern was not limited to a particular demographic population. Researchers examined whether the relationship differed according to age, sex, income, education or racial and ethnic background and found no statistically significant differences in the associations between those groups.
The findings suggest that the relationship between pulse intake and cardiometabolic health was broadly similar across the populations studied, although that does not establish identical health effects for every individual or demographic group.
The nutritional profile of pulses provides several possible explanations for the association. Beans, lentils and chickpeas are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, with soluble fiber playing a role in cholesterol regulation and helping moderate the absorption of glucose following meals.
Soluble fiber can bind to bile acids in the digestive tract, contributing to processes that may reduce circulating cholesterol levels. Dietary fiber also slows digestion and can help produce a more gradual increase in blood sugar compared with many refined carbohydrate foods.
These properties may be especially relevant to people managing insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. Pulses generally have a relatively low glycemic index, meaning their carbohydrates tend to enter the bloodstream more gradually than carbohydrates from foods such as white bread or refined starches.
Pulses also contain resistant starch, which is not fully digested in the small intestine. Instead, a portion passes into the large intestine, where intestinal microorganisms can ferment it and produce compounds known as short-chain fatty acids.
These compounds have been investigated for their potential influence on intestinal health, inflammation and metabolic regulation. Although such biological mechanisms are plausible, the new analysis did not directly measure whether changes in gut bacteria or fermentation products accounted for the observed differences in cardiometabolic disease prevalence.
Protein is another important nutritional component. Pulses provide plant-based protein with relatively little saturated fat, making them a practical alternative to some animal protein sources, particularly when used in place of processed meats or foods high in saturated fat.
Their combination of fiber and protein may also increase fullness after meals, potentially helping individuals regulate overall calorie consumption. However, the effects depend on portion sizes, preparation methods and the other foods included in the diet.
Researchers also identified polyphenols, naturally occurring compounds found in many plant foods, as potentially relevant to the relationship between pulse intake and metabolic health. These compounds have been studied for antioxidant and other biological activities, although their specific contribution to preventing cardiometabolic disease remains uncertain.
The findings are consistent with earlier nutritional research investigating the relationship between legumes and cardiovascular risk factors. A review combining data from 12 prospective studies involving as many as 88,475 participants across the United States, Europe and Asia found that people consuming the greatest amounts of legumes had a lower risk of hypertension than those reporting the lowest intake.
Because prospective studies follow participants over time, they can help establish whether dietary habits precede the development of disease. Nevertheless, observational studies remain vulnerable to confounding factors, and an association between eating legumes and lower blood pressure does not establish a direct preventive effect.
Other investigations have reported favorable relationships between regular legume consumption and measurements of blood glucose, cholesterol and metabolic function. Collectively, the research has contributed to growing interest in beans and lentils as affordable dietary components that can supply nutrients often lacking in highly processed meals.
An earlier NaturalNews.com report also highlighted research associating pulse consumption with lower diabetes risk, reflecting the broader attention these foods have received in discussions of blood sugar regulation and plant-based nutrition.
The low consumption levels documented in the national analysis are particularly relevant to public health recommendations. Despite the availability of beans, lentils, chickpeas and dry peas in grocery stores, their average intake remains substantially below the levels considered desirable in dietary planning research.
The Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended placing greater emphasis on beans, peas and lentils within healthy dietary patterns. Its recommendations included increasing their representation in food patterns and giving plant-based protein sources greater prominence.
Earlier federal dietary guidance commonly included approximately 1.5 to 2.5 cups of beans, peas and lentils per week in a standard 2,000-calorie eating pattern, depending on the food pattern used. The advisory committee explored higher consumption levels as part of its proposed revisions, rather than establishing a universal requirement to consume 1.5 to 2 cups daily.
That distinction is important when interpreting dietary recommendations. Federal advisory committee reports inform the development of dietary guidance, but their proposals are not automatically identical to the final recommendations issued by the government.
A separate analysis of American pulse consumption trends, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, also examined national survey data from 1999 through 2018. That research identified persistent gaps between typical consumption and recommended intake, reinforcing concerns that pulses remain underrepresented in many American diets.
The new cardiometabolic analysis found differences in consumption across demographic groups, despite detecting no statistically significant differences in the relationship between pulse intake and disease outcomes. Men generally consumed more pulses than women, while younger adults and several non-White population groups reported higher consumption than their comparison groups.
Participants in lower-income categories also tended to consume more pulses, as did adults with less than a high school education compared with those who had attended college. These differences illustrate how dietary habits vary according to cultural preferences, food traditions and socioeconomic circumstances.
The nutritional benefits of pulses are not dependent on purchasing specialized products. Dried beans, canned chickpeas, lentils and split peas can all contribute to dietary fiber and protein intake, although preparation methods influence sodium content and the overall nutritional characteristics of a meal.
For consumers seeking to increase intake, pulses can be incorporated into soups, stews, salads and grain dishes or used as substitutes for portions of meat in familiar recipes. Hummus, prepared primarily from chickpeas, is another convenient option, although commercially prepared varieties differ in sodium and fat content.
Canned beans can offer nutritional benefits comparable to cooked dried beans. Selecting products with little or no added salt, or rinsing canned beans before use, can help reduce sodium intake when that is a dietary concern.
People who do not regularly consume high-fiber foods may find it helpful to increase pulse intake gradually. Large, sudden increases in fiber can cause bloating or intestinal discomfort, while progressively increasing consumption gives the digestive system an opportunity to adjust.
Despite the encouraging findings, the researchers emphasized several limitations that prevent definitive conclusions about disease prevention.
Most importantly, the analysis used a cross-sectional design, meaning researchers examined dietary intake and health outcomes within the same broad period rather than following participants prospectively to determine who subsequently developed cardiometabolic disease.
As a result, the study cannot establish whether greater pulse consumption preceded the development of diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Some participants may have changed their eating habits after receiving a diagnosis, creating the possibility of reverse causation.
A person diagnosed with diabetes, for example, might increase consumption of beans or lentils after receiving dietary advice. Without detailed information establishing when those changes occurred relative to the diagnosis, researchers cannot determine whether higher consumption contributed to better health or resulted from existing health concerns.
Dietary measurements also depended on participants’ reported food intake, which can be affected by memory errors, incomplete reporting and variations in eating habits. Although the researchers used established statistical procedures to estimate usual consumption, self-reported dietary information remains an imperfect representation of long-term eating patterns.
The statistical adjustments accounted for several major potential confounders, but other unmeasured factors could still have influenced the findings. People who regularly consume pulses may differ from other adults in physical activity, access to health care, food preparation habits or additional characteristics not fully captured by the analysis.
The reported odds ratios also require careful interpretation. A finding of 19% lower odds of cardiometabolic disease does not establish that adding a particular amount of beans or lentils to a person’s diet will reduce their individual disease risk by 19%.
Nor does it mean that someone can offset an otherwise unhealthy diet simply by consuming larger quantities of pulses. Cardiovascular and metabolic health are influenced by numerous factors, including smoking, physical activity, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood glucose, genetics and overall dietary patterns.
The researchers called for additional prospective studies and randomized clinical trials to determine whether increasing pulse intake produces measurable reductions in cardiometabolic disease incidence and to identify the biological mechanisms potentially involved.
Such research could also help clarify whether the nutritional effects vary according to the type of pulse consumed, preparation methods, portion sizes or the foods that pulses replace.
Nevertheless, the investigation provides substantial population-level evidence supporting the inclusion of beans, lentils, chickpeas and dry peas in balanced dietary patterns. Its large sample, nationally representative data and adjustments for multiple demographic and lifestyle factors strengthen the relevance of the observed association.
The findings are particularly notable because pulses are widely available, relatively inexpensive and compatible with many different dietary traditions. Their nutritional composition allows them to contribute fiber, protein and other beneficial nutrients without requiring major changes in food preparation or access to specialized products.
The study ultimately identifies an association that warrants further investigation rather than a proven method of preventing heart disease or diabetes. For Americans consuming few pulses, however, the results add to an established body of nutritional evidence supporting greater dietary variety and the regular inclusion of fiber-rich plant foods as part of maintaining cardiovascular and metabolic health.
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