Replacing meat with beans cuts weight study

Legumes are known to support healthy body weight. [Courtesy]

Losing weight is a common goal for many people, especially those who feel their weight is not ideal for their age or is affecting their health.

This has led many to try various weight loss supplements marketed online, frequent the gym religiously,  or adopt daily home workouts routines.

In the long run, some achieve their desired results, while others end up disappointed when their efforts don’t pay off, often left wondering which approach or product will finally work. 

However, look no further. Dieting can play a major role in helping you reach your target weight. A recent study has shown that shedding extra kilos could be as simple as replacing some of the sausages, beef and bacon in your diet with legumes.

This finding came from a study by scientists at the University of Helsinki, who instructed 51 Finnish men aged between 20 and 65 to reduce their intake of red and processed meat to just 200 grams per week, about 5 per cent of their total protein intake.

In place of the meat, the men consumed more legumes, specifically peas and faba beans, making up about 20 per cent of their protein intake, while continuing to eat chicken, fish, eggs and other protein sources as usual.

Apart from this substitution, the participants were not asked to eat less food or limit their calorie intake in any way. Yet, within just six weeks, they had lost an average of one kilogramme (2.2 pounds).

“This was surprising because we didn’t aim for weight loss,” said Prof Anne-Maria Pajari, a molecular nutritionist and senior author of the study

She added that the volunteers were simply asked to follow their usual diets while controlling their intake of red and processed meat and increasing legumes.

Legumes are already known to support healthy body weight, Prof Pajari noted, but the researchers were still surprised to observe such noticeable changes in just six weeks, and the benefits didn’t end there.

By the end of the study, the men who had incorporated more legumes into their diets had lower levels of total and LDL cholesterol, often referred to as “bad” cholesterol, suggesting that the dietary swap reduced their risk of heart disease.

Surprisingly, their iron levels also improved, even though red meat is typically considered a primary source of dietary iron.