Randomized controlled trial on the effects of legumes on cardiovascular risk factors in women with abdominal obesity

BACKGROUND: The effect of legume-based hypocaloric diet on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in women is unclear. This study provides an opportunity to find effects of high-legume diet on CVD risk factors in women who consumed high legumes at baseline. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was undertaken in ۳۴ premenopausal women with central obesity. After ۲ weeks of a run-in period on an isocaloric diet, subjects were randomly assigned into two groups: (۱) hypocaloric diet enriched with legumes (HDEL) (n = ۱۷) (two servings per day) and (۲) hypocaloric diet without legumes (HDWL) (n = ۱۷) for ۶ weeks. The following variables were assessed before intervention, ۳, and ۶ weeks after it: Waist to hip ratio (WHR), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-sensitive-C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxides (NOx), and Malondialdehyde (MDA). RESULTS: Both hypocaloric diets reduced hs-CRP in ۳ weeks and returned it to basal values after ۶ weeks (P = ۰.۰۰۴). HDWL significantly reduced WHR [P = ۰.۰۱۰ (۳.۲%)] and increased TC [P < ۰.۰۰۱ (۶.۳%)]. Despite the significant effect of HDEL on increasing TAC in ۳ weeks [P = ۰.۰۵۰ (۴%)], the level of TAC remained the same in ۶ weeks. None of the diets had any significant effects on NOx and MDA. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that beneficial effects of legumes on TC, LDL-C, and hs-CRP were achieved by three servings per week, and consuming more amounts of these products had no more advantages.   

Keywords:

Legume , Cardiovascular Disease , Caloric Restriction , Central Obesity , Premenopause