Legume consumption and relationships with chronic noncommunicable diseases

Abstract

Legumes are natural foods from plants with a high quantity of different nutrients, such as proteins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. An investigation was conducted in the PUBMED and SCIELO databases, between 2013 and 2019 using the following key words: “legumes/beans”, “obesity”, “cardiovascular disease”, and “metabolic syndrome”. Articles identified showed a beneficial association between legume intake and chronic disease, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk. An important result was that regular legume intake contributes to cardiovascular health, glycemic control, insulin liberation, and control of the arterial pressure. In conclusion, this review highlighted the direct benefits of regular legume intake and improved metabolic and cardiovascular health.