A Summary of the article on “Canned Beans Decrease Serum Total and LDL Cholesterol in Adults with Elevated LDL Cholesterol in a 4-wk Multicenter, Randomized, Crossover Study”
Background
The article by Doma K, Olinar K, Ramdath D et al (2021), published in The Journal of Nutrition, details a study investigating the impact of consuming canned beans on serum lipid and glycemic biomarkers in adults with elevated LDL cholesterol. Recognising the need for practical strategies to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, and the potential of beans to decrease LDL cholesterol, the study aimed to explore the effects of different daily amounts and varieties of canned beans.
The objectives were specifically to examine the effects of consuming canned beans daily in two amounts: 1 cup (1CB, 180 g) and ½ cup (½CB, 90 g), compared to a 1-cup white rice (WR) control. The study participants were adults aged 48.1 ± 14.2 years with a mean BMI of 25.9 ± 4.22 kg/m² and fasting serum LDL cholesterol levels between 3.0–5.0 mmol/L.
Methods
The study employed a multicenter, randomized, crossover design. Participants consumed 1CB, ½CB, and WR for 4-week treatment periods. These treatment periods were separated by washout periods of at least 4 weeks. Various canned bean varieties were rotated daily, including black, navy, pinto, dark red kidney, and white kidney beans. Fasting serum LDL cholesterol was the primary outcome measured, while other lipids and glycemic biomarkers served as secondary outcomes. Measurements were taken on study days 1 and 29 of each treatment period. The study analysis compared the day 29 values using repeated-measures ANCOVA, adjusting for day 1 values. The trial was registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03830970.
Regarding completion rates, 66 participants completed the 1CB treatment, 68 completed the ½CB treatment, and 64 completed the WR treatment.
Results
The results showed notable changes in cholesterol levels by study day 29 compared to study day 1. Total cholesterol was lower for the 1CB group compared with the WR group (P = 0.04), with mean changes from study day 1 of –5.46% for 1CB, –2.74% for ½CB, and –0.65% for WR. Total cholesterol was not significantly lower for the ½CB group compared with WR (P = 0.77), and there was no significant difference between the 1CB and ½CB groups (P = 0.17).
LDL cholesterol also showed a significant decrease for the 1CB group compared with the WR group (P = 0.002). The mean changes in LDL cholesterol from study day 1 were –8.08% for 1CB, –3.84% for ½CB, and +0.49% for WR. Similar to total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol was not significantly lower for the ½CB group compared with WR (P = 0.30), and there was no significant difference between the 1CB and ½CB groups (P = 0.11). The study found that other measured lipids and glycemic biomarkers did not differ significantly among the treatments.
Conclusions
In conclusion, the consumption of 1 cup (180 g) of canned beans of multiple varieties daily effectively decreased both total and LDL cholesterol in adults diagnosed with elevated LDL cholesterol. This finding supports the inclusion of this amount of canned beans as a practical dietary strategy for cardiovascular disease risk reduction.
The study received funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership Pulse Science Cluster Program, and the canned beans were provided by the Bonduelle Group. Regarding potential conflicts of interest, two authors (TMSW and his wife) are part owners and employees of INQUIS Clinical Research, while all other authors reported no conflicts.
References
Doma, K., Olinar, K. F., Ramdath, D. D., Wolever, T. M., & Duncan, A. M. (2021). Canned Beans Decrease Serum Total and LDL Cholesterol in Adults with Elevated LDL Cholesterol in a 4-wk Multicenter, Randomized, Crossover Study. The Journal of Nutrition, 151(12), 3701–3709. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab323
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