Meta-analysis of 31 trials: legumes lowered total cholesterol by 5.159 mg/dl and LDL by 3.475 mg/dl

According to lomazoma.com, a systematic review and meta-analysis pooled the results of 31 randomized clinical trials that examined regular intake of non-soy legumes lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗. The article links the findings to hummus, but the review itself covered legumes in general.

Regular legume intake lowered total cholesterol by an average of 5.159 mg/dl and LDL cholesterol by 3.475 mg/dl lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗. Across all trials, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides showed no significant change lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗.

Meta-analysis results

Signs of lower triglycerides appeared in some subgroups: interventions shorter than eight weeks and participants with a body mass index below 30 lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗. This points to context-dependent factors rather than a universal, immediate effect.

US cardiologist Marshal Runge cited data from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: people who ate 100 g of legumes four times a week had a 14 percent lower risk of ischemic heart disease lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗. Prof. Ulrich Laufs stated that switching from a mixed diet to a fully vegan one can lower LDL cholesterol by up to 10 percent on average, and that in severe metabolic syndrome reductions of 20 to 30 percent are possible lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗.

Limits and mechanism

According to the article, in familial hypercholesterolemia diet cannot lower cholesterol effectively lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗. Individual substances such as garlic, ginger, bran, pectin, turmeric and artichoke showed no benefit beyond placebo in studies lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗.

Dietary fiber is named as the main mechanism of legumes. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends at least 30 g per day for adults; according to the National Consumption Study II, 75 percent of women and 68 percent of men fall short of this, with average intakes of 18 g for women and 19 g for men lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗.

Hummus is traditionally made with sesame paste (tahini) and olive oil. Data from a long-term study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology show that eating more than 7 g of olive oil daily for 28 years was associated with a 19 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death compared with low intake lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗. According to the US Department of Agriculture, one tablespoon of olive oil (about 14 g) provides about 119 kcal lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗. The article notes that hummus does not replace therapeutic measures for genetic risk factors lomazoma.comlomazoma.comlomazoma.comOpen source ↗.