Pulses and legumes - a scoping review for nordic nutrition recommendations 2023

Abstract

Background: Consumption of pulses/legumes is associated with various health outcomes. Therefore, when updating the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR), summarizing the best evidence on key health outcomes regarded as relevant for the Nordic and Baltics related to the consumption of legumes is essential. Objectives: To evaluate the updated evidence on the effect of the consumption of legumes/pulses on various health outcomes, as well as their dose-response relationship in updated systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Method: The scoping review is built on a de novo systematic review published in 2023 and additional searches on the consumption of legumes/pulses and its various health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Results: Consumption of legumes/pulses is associated with a lower risk of several cancers (evidence: low-moderate), and lower all-cause mortality (evidence: moderate). The associations with CVDs are neutral or inverse, with studies generally showing favourable changes in biomarkers for CVDs. Legume consumption is associated with a lower risk of obesity (evidence: low). For type 2 diabetes, no association was found with incidence, but trials on consumption of legumes/pulses and biomarkers generally indicated protective effects. Conclusion: Overall, the current evidence supports dietary recommendations to increase the consumption of legumes/pulses.