ArticlePDF Available

Legumes: The most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities

Authors:

Abstract and Figures

To identify protective dietary predictors amongst long-lived elderly people (N= 785), the "Food Habits in Later Life "(FHILL) study was undertaken among five cohorts in Japan, Sweden, Greece and Australia. Between 1988 and 1991, baseline data on food intakes were collected. There were 785 participants aged 70 and over that were followed up to seven years. Based on an alternative Cox Proportional Hazard model adjusted to age at enrollment (in 5-year intervals), gender and smoking, the legume food group showed 7-8% reduction in mortality hazard ratio for every 20g increase in daily intake with or without controlling for ethnicity (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.85-0.99 and RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.87-0.99, respectively). Other food groups were not found to be consistently significant in predicting survival amongst the FHILL cohorts.
Content may be subject to copyright.
Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr 2004;13 (2):217-220 217
Original Article
Legumes: the most important dietary predictor of
survival in older people of different ethnicities
Irene Darmadi-Blackberry MB, PhD1, Mark L Wahlqvist AO, MD2,
Antigone Kouris-Blazos PhD2, Bertil Steen MD, PhD3, Widjaja Lukito MD, PhD4,
Yoshimitsu Horie PhD5 and Kazuyo Horie BSc6
1Public Health Division, National Ageing Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
2Asia Pacific Health & Nutrition Centre, Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Australia
3Department of Geriatric Medicine, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden
4SEAMEO TROPMED, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
5School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
6Faculty of Home Economics, Aichi Gakusen, Okazaki, Japan
To identify protective dietary predictors amongst long-lived elderly people (N=785), the “Food Habits in Later
Life” (FHILL) study was undertaken among five cohorts in Japan, Sweden, Greece and Australia. Between
1988 and 1991, baseline data on food intakes were collected. There were 785 participants aged 70 and over
that were followed up to seven years. Based on an alternative Cox Proportional Hazard model adjusted to age
at enrolment (in 5-year intervals), gender and smoking, the legume food group showed 7-8% reduction in
mortality hazard ratio for every 20g increase in daily intake with or without controlling for ethnicity (RR 0.92;
95% CI 0.85-0.99 and RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.87-0.99, respectively). Other food groups were not found to be
consistently significant in predicting survival amongst the FHILL cohorts.
Key words: legumes, diet, survival, FHILL, mortality, food intake, elderly, Australia, Greece, Japan, Sweden, fish, fat ratio
Introduction
It is becoming apparent that people of various nations with
different food cultures can have comparable life
expectancy and morbidity rates.1 TheFood Habits in
Later Life’ (FHILL)2 is a cross-cultural study conducted
under the auspices of the International Union of Nutritional
Sciences (IUNS) and the World Health Organization
(WHO). The FHILL studies have concentrated on food
intake and food intake patterns as differentiators and
common denominators in health susceptibility and for sur-
vival within and between cultures (people of different
ethnicity living in different localities). It has been
suggested that the dietary patterns in the early 1960s best
characterise what is known today as the "Traditional Greek
Food Pattern or Traditional Medi-terranean Diet".3,4 The
Greek variant of the Traditional Mediterranean Diet has
been documented in the "Seven Countries Study" by Keys
et al.5-7 This diet was characterised by:
1. Plentiful fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains;
2. Olive oil as the principal fat;
3. Lean red meat consumed only a few times per month
or in very small portions;
4. Low to moderate daily consumption of dairy
products;
5. Poultry, fish and eggs consumed a couple of times
per week; and
6. Moderate consumption of wine.
We have previously demonstrated that a plant based diet
(similar to the traditional mediterranean diet) which
includes fish is the most important predictor of survival
amongst FHILL cohorts (in press). This result was
significant after accounting for other non-nutritional
variables such as smoking status, gender, exercise, health
status, social activity, activities of daily living and
memory status in one Cox Proportional Hazard model.
Details of this analysis are discussed elsewhere (in press).
The current article will investigate in greater detail what
aspects of the plant-fish diet contributes to longevity
between and within disparate food cultures. The
objectives of this article include:
Describing cross-cultural comparisons on average
food consumption amongst FHILL cohorts (grams/
day adjusted to 2500 kcal for men and 2000 kcal for
women)
Examining individual food groups as predictors of
mortality amongst FHILL cohorts (adjusted and non-
adjusted for ethnic backgrounds)
Correspondence address: Dr. Irene Darmadi-Blackberry,
National Ageing Research Institute, PO Box 31, Parkville 3052.
Tel: 03-83872614; Fax 03-83872153
Email: i.blackberry@nari.unimelb.edu.au
Accepted 15 January 2004
218 I Darmadi-Blackberry, ML Wahlqvist, A Kouris-Blazos, B Steen, W Lukito, Y Horie and K Horie
Methods
Baseline data on food habits, health status and social
variables were collected from five cohorts aged 70 and
over (Japanese in Japan, Swedes in Sweden, Anglo-Celtic
in Australia, Greeks in Australia and Greece). The
validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) were used
to collect data on food intakes in all cohorts except
Japanese where the 3-day weighed food record method
was employed. Intakes in gram/week were calculated by
multiplying the serving size by the weekly frequency of
intake. These values were further translated into gram/day
and were adjusted to 2500 kcal (10,460 kJ) for men and
2000 kcal (8,368 kJ) for women for comparison purposes.
Furthermore, these food items were grouped into eight
major food groups based on the Mediterranean diet.8-12
To acknowledge the emerging evidence of beneficial
effects of fish consumption in health and survival,13-15 the
fish and shellfish group was added. Thus the nine major
food groups included vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts,
milk and dairy products, cereals and potatoes, meat and
meat products, ethanol, monounsaturated to saturated fats
ratio, and fish groups.
All-cause mortality data were obtained from up to
seven years follow-up. Out of the 785 participants in the
baseline, 169 people died during the follow-up period. An
alternative Cox Proportional Hazard model, adjusted to
age at enrolment (in 5-year intervals), gender, and
smoking, was developed to analyse the survival data.
Each Cox model was tested against controlling for
cohorts’ location and ethnicity.
Results
Table 1 describes the average amount of foods consumed
per person daily amongst FHILL cohorts. Most cohorts
consumed vegetables between 283 and 353 g/d. How-
ever, the Swedes in Sweden ate far less vegetables. The
Japanese in Japan, along with both Greek cohorts in
Australia and Greece, consumed more legumes (63-
86g/d) compared to other cohorts. Fruit and nut intakes
were low for Japanese in Japan (140g/d) compared to the
rest of the cohorts (252-330g/d). On the other hand the
intake of cereals (which was mainly rice), as expected,
was high for Japanese in Japan (366g/d). Other cohorts
consumed between 102-280 grams of cereals daily.
Milk and dairy consumption varied between cohorts. It
was noted that Swedes consumed more than 400g/d
whilst Japanese consumed as little as 165g/d. The
variation in meat consumption was enormous. In Japan,
the Japanese ate very little meat (less than 50g/d). In
contrast, the Greeks in Australia ate about 190g of meat
and meat products daily. Little fish and shellfish were
eaten by the Anglo-Celts in Australia (21g/d). However,
the Japanese in Japan consumed five times more than the
Anglo-Celts in Australia (more than 100g daily).
Ethanol consumption appeared to be varied between
cohorts. While most cohorts consumed between 5 and 10
grams of ethanol daily, the Japanese (mainly men) drank
about 15 grams of ethanol per day. The Swedes and
Anglo-Celtic seemed to consume more saturated fats than
the rest of the cohorts. This result was reflected in low
monounsaturated:saturated fat ratio (less than 1). Finally,
there was considerable variation between the cohorts in
energy intakes. The Japanese in Japan reported a very
low energy intake (about 1600 kcal daily). On the other
hand, the Swedes in Sweden consumed around 2500 kcal
per day. Other cohorts reported energy intakes between
2060-2118 kcal daily.
Results from the overall FHILL cohorts suggested that
higher intakes of legumes, fish and shellfish, and olive oil
(reflected in monounsaturated:saturated fat ratio) were
significant predictors of survival in the elderly (Table 2).
There was a reduction in risk of death by up to 8% for
every 20 grams increase in legumes intake. The result
remained significant with or without controlling for ethnic
backgrounds. With every 20 grams increase in fish and
shellfish intake, there was a 6% decrease in the hazard of
death (95% CI 1%-12%), after adjusting for age, gender,
and smoking status only. For every unit increase in the
mono-unsaturated:saturated fat ratio there was a 46%
decrease in the hazard of death (95% CI 9%-68%).
However, this ratio was a significant predictor of
mortality only when ethnic background was included as a
confounding factor in addition to age at enrolment (in 5-
year intervals), gender, and smoking status.
Only for legume intake was the result plausible,
consistent and statistically significant across collective
FHILL cohorts’ data. There is a 7% - 8% reduction in
Table 1. Average amount of foods consumed (grams) per person daily in FHILL cohorts
Variables
Japanese in
Japan
Swedes in
Sweden
Anglo-Celts in
Australia
Greeks in
Australia
Greeks in
Greece
Mean
± SD Mean
± SD Mean ± SD Mean
± SD Mean
± SD
N = 89 N = 184 N = 141 N = 189 N = 182
Vegetables 283
± 152 165
± 117 346
± 180 353
± 143 295
± 152
Legumes 85
± 68 21
± 18 14
± 19 86
± 58 63
± 47
Fruits and nuts 140 ± 99 298
± 179 330
± 188 252
± 135 261
± 179
Cereals 366
± 102 102
± 54 204
± 104 261
± 97 280
± 112
Dairy products 165 ± 150 404
± 205 346
± 173 245
± 172 243
± 184
Meat & meat products 43 ± 38 73
± 49 151
± 84 190
± 79 110
± 58
Fish and shellfish 102 ± 69 73
± 49 21
± 20 73
± 51 42
± 38
Ethanol 15
± 30 5
± 9 8
± 14 7
± 12 10
± 15
Monounsaturated:
saturated ratio
1.3 ± 0.3 0.7
± 0.2 0.8
± 0.2 1.7
± 0.4 1.8
± 0.5
Energy (kcal) 1599 ± 414 2501
± 689 2096
± 503 2118
± 537 2060
± 671
Food groups were adjusted to 2500 kcal for men and 2000 kcal for women
Legumes and survival in the elderly 219
mortality hazard ratio for every 20g increase in daily
legume intake with adjustment for location/ethnicity (RR
0.92; 95% CI 0.85 – 0.99) and without adjustment for
location/ethnicity (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.87 – 0.99).
Discussion
Food intake promises to be, not surprisingly, one of the
best measures of nutritional status. Together with body
composition and various performance measures such as
strength and endurance, it represents the inputs, outputs
and the sum total of energy and food component through-
put and status or balance in human biology. Biomarkers
of food intake offer ways in which its validity can be
increased and its perturbations recognised.
There were variations between the five FHILL cohorts
on average daily consumption of foods consumed. Taller
elderly consumed the most calories whilst the shortest
elderly consumed less. These findings about food and
survival apply across cultures with a wide range of energy
intakes (Japanese 1599kcal - Swedes 2501kcal) and wide
range of stature (Japanese 152cm - Swedes 165cm).
Results from the current study were compared with the
results documented by Keys and his colleagues from the
classical international "Seven Countries Study". It was
observed in the current study that the average cereal and
ethanol consumption were lower whilst the average meat
consumption was higher across longevity cultures, in
comparison to the intake from the "Seven Countries
study" in the 1960s..5 Overall, the Japanese in the FHILL
study consumed more vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy
products than the Japanese cohort from the "Seven
Countries Study". On the other hand, they consumed less
legumes, cereals, fish, and alcohol. On average, both the
Greek cohorts in Australia and Greece consumed more
vegetables, legumes, fish, meat and dairy products
compared to two Greek cohorts from the "Seven
Countries Study". However, they consumed less fruits,
cereals, and alcohol.
Only for legumes intake was the result plausible,
consistent and statistically significant from collective
FHILL cohorts data (8% reduction in risk of death for
every 20 grams increase in daily legumes intake).
Legumes have long been associated with longevity food
cultures. For example, the Japanese eat soy, tofu, natto,
miso, the Swedes eat brown beans and peas and the Medi-
terraneans eat lentils, chickpeas and white beans.6,16-18 A
6% decrease in the hazard of death (95% CI 1%-12%) for
every 20g increase in intake of fish and shellfish was
observed when the Cox's model did not include ethnicity/
locality as a confounding factor. It appeared that fish and
shellfish intakes were shown to prolong survival, but it
may be related to certain food cultures that have high
intakes of fish such as the Japanese.19 The monoun-
saturated:saturated fat ratio was associated with a 46%
decrease in the hazard of death (95% CI 9%-68%) for
every unit increase. This ratio was a significant predictor
of mortality only when ethnic background was included
as a confounding factor in the Cox's model. Thus across
longevity cultures in the FHILL study, higher monoun-
saturated: saturated fat ratio (as reflected in intake of olive
oil in the Mediterranean cultures) appeared to be
protective against premature death irrespective of their
ethnic backgrounds. The intake of monounsaturated fat
has been shown to be protective against breast cancer in
Sweden..20
Conclusions
The FHILL longitudinal study shows that a higher legume
intake is the most protective dietary predictor of survival
amongst the elderly, regardless of their ethnicity. The
significance of legumes persisted even after controlling
for age at enrolment (in 5-year intervals), gender, and
smoking. Legumes have been associated with long-lived
food cultures such as the Japanese (soy, tofu, natto, miso),
the Swedes (brown beans, peas), and the Mediterranean
people (lentils, chickpeas, white beans).
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge other Food Habits in Later Life
(FHILL) investigators and collaborators for their contribution to
baseline data collection. We also deeply thank all participants in
the FHILL study for their enormous contribution to the study.
Table 2. Mortality risk ratio estimates (and 95%CI) deprived from alternative Cox's models with each of nine major
food groups*
Variables P value Risk Ratio† (95% CI) P value Risk Ratio‡ (95% CI)
V
Vegetable intake (20g) 0.70 1.00 (0.98 to 1.02) 0.97 1.00 (0.98 to 1.02)
Legume intake (20g) 0.02 0.92 (0.85 to 0.99) 0.02 0.93 (0.87 to 0.99)
Fruit and nut intake (20g) 0.38 0.99 (0.97 to 1.01) 0.29 0.99 (0.97 to 1.01)
Cereal intake (20g) 0.75 0.99 (0.97 to 1.02) 0.89 1.00 (0.98 to 1.03)
Dairy intake (20g) 0.29 1.01 (0.99 to 1.03) 0.58 0.99 (0.98 to 1.01)
Meat intake (20g) 0.42 1.02 (0.97 to 1.08) 0.34 0.98 (0.94 to 1.02)
Fish intake (20g) 0.23 0.96 (0.89 to 1.03) 0.04 0.94 (0.88 to 0.99)
Monounsaturated : Saturated ratio (1 unit) 0.02 0.54 (0.32 to 0.91) 0.85 0.97 (0.74 to 1.29)
Ethanol intake (10g) 0.83 1.01 (0.92 to 1.10) 0.40 1.04 (0.95 to 1.13)
*Adjusted to 2500 kcal (10,460 kJ) for men and 2000 kcal (8368 kJ) for women ; †From model including terms of age at enrolment (5-y interval),
sex, smoking status, and ethnicity/locality
‡From model inluding terms of age at enrolment (5-y interval), sex, and smoking status, but not ethnicity/locality
220 I Darmadi-Blackberry, ML Wahlqvist, A Kouris-Blazos, B Steen, W Lukito, Y Horie and K Horie
References
1. Powles JW. Changing lifestyles and health. Asia Pacific J
Clin Nutr 1992;1(2):113-126.
2. Wahlqvist ML, Hsu-Hage BH, Kouris-Blazos A, Lukito W,
IUNS Study Investigators. Food Habits in Later Life: A
cross-cultural study. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr and United
Nations University Press, CD-rom, 1995.
3. Trichopoulou A, Katsouyanni K, Gnardellis C. The
traditional Greek diet. Eur J Clin Nutr 1993; 47 (Suppl 1):
S76-81.
4. Trichopoulou A, Vasilopoulou E. Mediterranean diet and
longevity. Br J Nutr 2000; 84 (Suppl 2): S205-9.
5. Kromhout D, Keys A, Aravanis C, Buzina R, Fidanza F,
Giampaoli S, Jansen A, Menotti A, Nedeljkovic S,
Pekkarinen M. Food consumption patterns in the 1960s in
seven countries. Am J Clin Nutr 1989;49 (5):889-94.
6. Willett WC. Diet and health: what should we eat? Science
1994; 264 (5158): 532-7.
7. Keys A. Mediterranean diet and public health: personal
reflections. Am J Clin Nutr 1995; 61 (6 Suppl): 1321S-
1323S.
8. Kouris-Blazos A, Wahlqvist M. The traditional Greek food
pattern and overall survival in elderly people. Aust J Nutr
Diet 1998;55 (4Suppl): S20-S23.
9. Kouris-Blazos A, Gnardellis C, Wahlqvist ML,
Trichopoulos D, Lukito W, Trichopoulou A. Are the
advantages of the Mediterranean diet transferable to other
populations? A cohort study in Melbourne, Australia. Br J
Nutr 1999; 82 (1): 57-61.
10. Osler M, Schroll M. Diet and mortality in a cohort of
elderly people in a north European community. Int J
Epidemiol 1997; 26 (1): 155-9.
11. Trichopoulou A, Kouris-Blazos A, Wahlqvist ML,
Gnardellis C, Lagiou P, Polychronopoulos E, Vassilakou T,
Lipworth L, Trichopoulos D. Diet and overall survival in
elderly people. BMJ 1995; 311 (7018): 1457-60.
12. Woo J, Woo KS, Leung SS, Chook P, Liu B, Ip R, Ho SC,
Chan SW, FFeng JZ, Celermajer DS. The Mediterranean
score of dietary habits in Chinese populations in four
different geographical areas. Eur J Clin Nutr 2001;55 (3):
215-20.
13. Barzi F, Woodward M, Marfisi RM, Tavazzi L, Valagussa
F, Marchioli R, GISSI Prevenzione Investigators.
Mediterranean diet and all-causes mortality after
myocardial infarction: results from the GISSI-Prevenzione
trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003; 57 (4): 604-11.
14. Yamori Y, Miura A, Taira K. Implications from and for
food cultures for cardiovascular diseases: Japanese food,
particularly Okinawan diets. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2001;10
(2): 144-5.
15. Mozaffarian D, Lemaitre RN, Kuller LH, Burke GL, Tracy
RP, Siscovick DS, Cardiovascular Health Study. Cardiac
benefits of fish consumption may depend on the type of
fish meal consumed: the Cardiovascular Health Study.
Circulation 2003; 107 (10): 1372-7.
16. Trichopoulou A, Lagiou P. Healthy traditional Medi-
terranean diet: an expression of culture, history, and
lifestyle. Nutrition Reviews 1997; 55 (11 Pt 1): 383-9.
17. A small treasury of Swedish food: The Swedish Dairies
Association and The Swedish Farmers Meat Marketing
Association; 1977.
18. Hosking R. A dictionary of Japanese food. Tokyo: Charles
E Tuttle Inc; 1997.
19. Shibata H, Nagai H, Haga H, Yasumura S, Suzuki T,
Suyama Y. Nutrition for the Japanese elderly. Nutr Health
1992; 8 (2-3): 165-75.
20. Wolk A, Bergstrom R, Hunter D, Willett W, Ljung H,
Holmberg L, Berukvist L, Bruce A, Adami HO. A
prospective study of association of monounsaturated fat
and other types of fat with risk of breast cancer. Arch
Intern Med 1998; 158 (1): 41-5.
... Pulses are considered the most crucial dietary predictor of longevity among older individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds, playing a pivotal role in extending the lifespan of populations. (Darmadi-Blackberry et al., 2004) [3] . In India pulse crops are grown in an area of 139.09 (MT) with an annual production level of 86.98 (MT) and productivity of about 639 kg/ha during 2016-2017. ...
... Pulses are considered the most crucial dietary predictor of longevity among older individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds, playing a pivotal role in extending the lifespan of populations. (Darmadi-Blackberry et al., 2004) [3] . In India pulse crops are grown in an area of 139.09 (MT) with an annual production level of 86.98 (MT) and productivity of about 639 kg/ha during 2016-2017. ...
... In addition to providing a sustainable and affordable source of protein, they are a vital source of dietary fiber, slowly digested carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenolics (6,7). A well-established body of evidence links pulse consumption to a reduced risk of mortality from all causes (8)(9)(10)). Yet, despite the numerous benefits of pulses to agricultural and food systems, and their potential to address myriad challenges facing agriculture and human health, pulses suffer from low adoption and are underutilized (11,12). ...
Article
Full-text available
To realize the potential of sainfoins to contribute to sustainable agriculture and expand on demonstrated uses and benefits, de novo domestication is occurring to develop perennial Baki™ bean, the trade name used by The Land Institute for pulses (i.e., grain legumes) derived from sainfoins. The objective of this study was to characterize amino acid and fatty acid profiles of depodded seeds from commercial sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) seed lots, and compare these results with data published in the Global Food Composition Database for Pulses. The fatty acid profile consisted primarily of polyunsaturated fatty acids (56.8%), compared to monounsaturated (29.0%) and saturated fatty acids (14.2%), and n-3 fatty acids (39.5%), compared to n-9 (28.4%) and n-6 (17.6%) fatty acids. The essential fatty acid linolenic acid (18,3 n-3) was the most abundant fatty acid (39.2%), followed by oleic acid (18,1 cis-9) (27.8%), and the essential fatty acid linoleic acid (18,2 n-6) (17.3%). The amino acid profile consisted primarily of the nonessential amino acids glutamic acid (18.3%), arginine (11.6%), and aspartic acid (10.8%), followed by the essential amino acids leucine (6.8%), and lysine (5.8%). Essential amino acid content met adult daily requirements for each amino acid. This indicates that sainfoin seeds may be a complete plant protein source. However, further research is necessary to better understand protein quality, defined by protein digestibility in addition to the amino acid profile. By demonstrating favorable fatty acid and amino acid profiles to human health, these results contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the potential benefits of perennial Baki™ bean, a novel, perennial pulse derived from sainfoins.
... Additionally, it was observed that there was an increase in the percentage of individuals aged 65+ consuming chickpeas. This trend is particularly noteworthy considering that research indicates a positive correlation between a higher intake of legumes and improved longevity in the elderly, irrespective of their ethnic background [18]. Chickpea consumption was more common among non-white individuals than white individuals. ...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Only 9% of individuals in the United Kingdom (UK) meet the recommendation for dietary fibre intake. Little is known about chickpea consumption in the UK. Methods: Chickpea intake trends and sociodemographic patterns were analysed using the National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme data collected from 2008/09 to 2018/19 among 15,655 individuals ≥1.5 years completing a four-day food diary. Chickpea consumers were identified based on a list of chickpea-containing foods, with the most consumed foods being hummus, boiled chickpeas, chickpea flour, and low/reduced-fat hummus. Micronutrient and food group intakes were compared between chickpea consumers and non-consumers; the Modified Healthy Dietary Score was also assessed, which measures adherence to UK dietary recommendations. Results: Chickpea consumption increased from 6.1% (2008–2012) to 12.3% (2016–2019). Among 1.5–3 years, consumption increased from 5.7% to 13.4%, and among 19–64 years, consumption increased from 7.1% to 14.4%. The percentage of individuals eating chickpeas was higher among individuals with higher incomes and more education. Healthy-weight adults were more likely to consume chickpeas compared to those who were overweight or obese. Compared to both bean and non-bean consumers, chickpea consumers ate significantly more dietary fibre, fruits and vegetables, pulses, nuts, and less red meat and processed meat products. Chickpea consumers also had a higher Modified Healthy Dietary Score. Conclusions: In the UK, chickpea consumption more than doubled from 2008/09 to 2018/19. Chickpea consumers had a higher diet quality than non-consumers.
... 4,25 Longevity is also associated with increased consumption of legumes across cultures and across pulse types. 26 Legumes also contain antinutritional components such as enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, tannins, and lectins. 27,28 These can inhibit the absorption of the nutritional factors; however, anti-nutritional components have been shown in other research to aid in inhibiting the processes of chronic disease such as cancer. ...
Article
Full-text available
Pulse foods are by definition the dry edible seeds of the botanical family Leguminosae. They include the common bean, chickpeas, lentils, and dry peas. The history of pulse use is briefly explored to illustrate the long and varied human traditions of pulse use through the centuries. Nutritional benefits include high protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Pulses have also been studied for their positive effects on a number of chronic human health issues, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, blood pressure, and cholesterol. A description of pulse crops and their place in the agricultural environment illustrates how they are necessary for sustaining soil health, along with patterns of production and consumption worldwide. Health benefits of pulse foods consumption have been well established in the literature, but consumers remain reluctant to use them. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as the Food-based Dietary Guidelines in Europe recommend at least two times weekly up to daily consumption of pulse foods, yet the vast majority of people fail to meet these minimums. In order to understand more fully the barriers to pulse consumption, a qualitative study was conducted by interviewing seven professionals who work with pulses across the spectrum of education, commodity organizations, research institutions, farming, and Cooperative Extension within a pulse-growing region of the U.S. Qualitative interviews using structured questions were conducted via Zoom with selected participants. A series of ten semi-open-ended questions were asked, including personal consumption habits of pulses, new pulse products on the market today, how the word “pulses” is understood or misunderstood by consumers, nutritional benefits, the role of MyPlate in helping consumers to plan meals with pulses, the types of consumers who eat pulses the most and what pulses they choose to eat, barriers to pulse use, and solutions for increasing and promoting pulse consumption. Data analysis found that there were a variety of reasons for the reluctance to use pulses, as well as the difficulty in marketing, research, and increasing production of pulses. Some solutions for promoting pulses could be implemented in the near future, and other solutions needed further research to implement.
... Legumes, rich in proteins, minerals, and phytochemicals such as polyphenols, are recognized as highly nutritious foods (Marinangeli et al., 2020). Consumption of legumes leads to various beneficial effects, such as sustained satiety, body weight improvement, metabolic syndrome prevention, and extension of healthy life expectancy (Darmadi-Blackberry et al., 2004;Polak et al., 2015). Legumes are also high in dietary fiber and RS, which are beneficial for reducing postprandial blood glucose levels (Clemente & Olias, 2017;Mayengbam et al., 2019). ...
Article
Full-text available
Legumes contain dietary fiber and resistant starch, which are beneficial to the intestinal environment. Here, we investigated the effects of yellow pea noodle consumption on the gut microbiota and fecal metabolome of healthy individuals. This single‐armed pre‐post comparative pilot study evaluated eight healthy female participants who consumed yellow pea noodles for 4 weeks. The gut microbiota composition and fecal metabolomic profile of each participant were evaluated before (2 weeks), during (4 weeks), and after (4 weeks) daily yellow pea noodle consumption. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on stool samples, followed by clustering of operational taxonomic units using the Cluster Database at High Identity with Tolerance and integrated QIIME pipeline to elucidate the gut microbiota composition. The fecal metabolites were analyzed using capillary electrophoresis time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Compared to day 0, the relative abundances of five bacterial genera ( Bacteroides, Bilophila, Hungatella, Parabacteroides , and Streptococcus ) in the intestinal microbiota significantly decreased, wherein those of Bifidobacterium longum and Ruminococcus bromii were increased on day 29 and decreased to the basal level (day 0) on day 57. Fecal metabolomic analysis identified 11 compounds showing significant fluctuations in participants on day 29 compared to day 0. Although the average levels of short‐chain fatty acids in participants did not differ significantly on day 29 compared to those on day 0, the levels tended to increase in individual participants with >8% relative abundance of R. bromii in their gut microbiota. In conclusion, incorporating yellow peas as a daily staple may confer human health benefits by favorably altering the intestinal environment.
... Исследование пищевых пристрастий японцев, шведов, греков и австралийцев старшего возраста (от 70 лет), показало, что фасоль -это один из немногих продуктов, употребление которого связано с системным снижением риска смертности. [12] Было замечено, что укрепляющие здоровье эффекты прямо пропорциональны увеличению количества съедаемой фасоли. Точнее, снижение коэффициента риска смертности на 8% происходило при увеличении суточного потребления фасоли на каждые 20 граммов (и с учетом и без учета этнической принадлежности). ...
Article
В статье рассмотрены основные свойства фасоли и её воздействие на организм человека. Проведен систематический обзор современной специализированной литературы и актуальных научных данных. Указан химический состав и пищевая ценность продукта, рассмотрено использование фасоли в различных видах медицины и эффективность её применения при различных заболеваниях. Отдельно проанализированы потенциально неблагоприятные эффекты фасоли на организм человека при определенных медицинских состояниях и заболеваниях. Рассмотрены научные основы диет с её применением. Расширенная HTML версия статьи приведена на сайте edaplus.info.
Article
The pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis L. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) is a serious pest of stored chickpea seed and distributed worldwide. Synthetic insecticides and fumigants are random practices against this pest but with serious drawbacks. The larval-pupal parasitoid Dinarmus basalis Rondani (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) has been successfully used to control C. chinensis as an alternative. Hosts (C. chinensis) were cultured in the laboratory in confined conditions (30 ± 1 °C and 80 ± 10% RH) till (12–15 days) to get optimal size for parasitism. The bio-control efficacy was studied at 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C with three parasitoid density pairs i.e. 2, 4 and 6. The number of emerged parasitoids, parasitism and suppression rates were studied. The parasitism and suppression rate of the parasitoid increased with increasing temperature and parasitoid densities except 35 °C. The highest parasitism (98.55%) and suppression (98.43%) by D. basalis on C. chinensis populations were observed at 30 °C with six pairs of the released parasitoids. Conversely, the lowest parasitism (77.34%) and suppression (74.35%) were observed for two pair parasitoid densities at 25 °C. Therefore, 30 °C temperature and maximum D. basalis density have potential to suppress C. chinensis populations.
Article
Full-text available
While the individual influences of melatonin (MT) and polyamines (PAs) have been widely studied under various abiotic stresses, little is known about their interaction under salinity stress. In the present study, salt stress applied by 50 mM of sodium chloride (NaCl) on snap bean seedlings has been supplemented with 20 μM of MT and/or 100 μM of putrescine (Put) (individually and in combination). The results indicated that under salinity stress, the combination of MT + Put achieved the highest significant increase in shoot fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll (Chl a), Chl a + b, carotenoids, total soluble sugars, proline, K, Ca, and cell membrane stability index (CMSI), as well as catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX) activities. This improvement was associated with an obvious decrease in Na, Na/K ratio, and oxidative damage as indicated by reducing leaf contents of methylglyoxal (MG), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the rate of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde; MDA). Moreover, the combination of MT + Put demonstrated a significant decrease in the activities of diamine oxidase (DAO) and polyamine oxidase (PAO) leading to the reduction of the rate of polyamine oxidation. Meanwhile, MT applied individually gave the highest significant increase in leaf relative water content (RWC), Chl b, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Conclusively, the combination treatment of MT + Put could decrease the degradation of polyamines and enhance tolerance to salinity stress in snap bean seedlings.
Article
By early next century a majority of deaths in the countries classed as 'developing' will be due to chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Such countries must now seek to counter the rise of NCDs while continuing the fight against traditional killers. 'Lifestyles'--socially sustained styles of living viewed in their material aspect--are major determinants of most diseases that vary markedly across cultures and through time, not just of those NCDs that typically increase with socio-economic modernization. Earlier phases of socio-economic development also brought with them adverse as well as beneficial effects on health. Living in cities greatly increased the transmissibility of infection but has since been made compatible with good health. The 'lifestyle diseases' associated with socio-economic modernization pose difficult public health challenges: they often arise from the otherwise welcome 'first fruits of affluence' and there is typically a long delay between the behaviours involved and their health effects. Major efforts may be required, over several decades, to first contain adverse trends and then to encourage favourable trends. The first task may be to help build constituencies for action by documenting and publicizing the likely health impact of the elements of lifestyle involved. In most industrialized countries, earlier adverse trends in the NCDs have been either reversed (heart attack, traffic injuries) or contained (lung cancer) in the last 2 decades, showing that such health costs are not a price that must inevitably be paid for by the other benefits of modernization.
Article
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition is a high quality, peer-reviewed journal that covers all aspects of human nutrition.
Article
The present paper examines the relationship of nutritional status to further life expectancy and health status in the Japanese elderly based on 3 epidemiological studies. Nutrient intakes in 94 Japanese centenarians investigated between 1972 and 1973 showed a higher proportion of animal protein to total proteins than in contemporary average Japanese. High intakes of milk and fats and oils had favorable effects on 10-year (1976–1986) survivorship in 422 urban residents aged 69–71. The survivors revealed a longitudinal increase in intakes of animal foods such as eggs, milk, fish and meat over the 10 years. Nutrient intakes were compared, based on 24-hour dietary records, between a sample from Okinawa Prefecture where life expectancies at birth and 65 were the longest in Japan, and a sample from Akita Prefecture where the life expectancies were much shorter. Intakes of Ca, Fe, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and the proportion of energy from proteins and fats were significantly higher in the former than in the latter. Intakes of carbohydrates and NaCl were lower.
Article
At the end of the 1950s the Seven Countries Study was designed to investigate the relations between diet and cardiovascular diseases. Sixteen cohorts were selected in Finland, Greece, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, United States, and Yugoslavia. During the 1960s food consumption data were collected from random samples of these cohorts by use of the record method. In Finland the intake of milk, potatoes, edible fats, and sugar products was very high. A similar but lower intake pattern was observed in The Netherlands. Fruit, meat, and pastry consumption was high in the United States; cereal and alcoholic drink consumption was high in Italy; and bread consumption high in Yugoslavians except for those in Belgrade. In Greece the intake of olive oil and fruit was high and the Japanese cohorts were characterized by a high consumption of fish, rice, and soy products. These differences in food consumption patterns have lessened during the past 25 y.
Article
My concern about diet as a public health problem began in the early 1950s in Naples, where we observed very low incidences of coronary heart disease associated with what we later came to call the "good Mediterranean diet." The heart of this diet is mainly vegetarian, and differs from American and northern European diets in that it is much lower in meat and dairy products and uses fruit for dessert. These observations led to our subsequent research in the Seven Countries Study, in which we demonstrated that saturated fat is the major dietary villain. Today, the healthy Mediterranean diet is changing and coronary heart disease is no longer confined to medical textbooks. Our challenge is to persuade children to tell their parents to eat as Mediterraneans do.
Article
Many recent studies have implicated dietary factors in the cause and prevention of important diseases, including cancer, coronary heart disease, birth defects, and cataracts. There is strong evidence that vegetables and fruits protect against these diseases; however, the active constituents are incompletely identified. Whether fat per se is a major cause of disease is a question still under debate, although saturated and partially hydrogenated fats probably increase the risk of coronary heart disease. One clear conclusion from existing epidemiologic evidence is that many individuals in the United States have suboptimal diets and that the potential for disease prevention by improved nutrition is substantial.
Article
Data from several studies are presented which suggest that the traditional Greek diet still exists in several parts of Greece and several segments of the population. The most profound changes in dietary intakes in recent years concern the increase in the consumption of meat and the decrease in the consumption of pulses.