21:47 31 March 2016
Eating pulses has long been proven to help lose and keep unwanted pounds off. Having one serving a day makes people feel fuller leading to modest weight loss and reduced cholesterol levels. A recent study has found that adding a single serving of pulses in diet – three-quarters of a cupful of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils -- helps lose an average of 0.75lbs per day.
Lead author Dr Russell de Souza, a researcher with the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada, said: “Despite their known health benefits, only 13 per cent of Canadians eat pulses on any given day and most do not eat the full serving. So there is room for most of us to incorporate dietary pulses in our diet and realise potential weight management benefits.”
“This new study fits well with our previous work, which found that pulses increased the feeling of fullness by 31 per cent, which may indeed result in less food intake,” he said.
“Though the weight loss was small, our findings suggest that simply including pulses in your diet may help you lose weight, and we think more importantly, prevent you from gaining it back after you lose it.”