The effects of legumes on metabolic features, insulin resistance and hepatic function tests in women with central obesity: A randomized controlled trial

The effect of high‑legume hypocaloric diet on
metabolic features in women is unclear. This study provided an
opportunity to find effects of high‑legume diet on metabolic
features in women who consumed high legumes at pre‑study period.
Methods: In this randomized controlled trial after 2 weeks of a run‑in
period on an isocaloric diet, 42 premenopausal women with central
obesity were randomly assigned into two groups: (1) Hypocaloric
diet enriched in legumes (HDEL) and (2) hypocaloric diet without
legumes (HDWL) for 6 weeks. The following variables were assessed
before intervention and 3 and 6 weeks after its beginning: Waist
circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood
pressure (DBP), fasting serum concentrations of triglyceride (TG),
high density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood sugar (FBS),
insulin, homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA‑IR), alanine
aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). We
used multifactor model of nested multivariate analysis of variance
repeated measurements and t‑test for statistical analysis.
Results: HDEL and HDWL significantly reduced the WC. HDEL
significantly reduced the SBP and TG. Both HDEL and HDWL
significantly increased fasting concentration of insulin and
HOMA‑IR after 3 weeks, but their significant effects on insulin
disappeared after 6 weeks and HDEL returned HOMA‑IR to basal
levels in the subsequent 3 weeks. In HDEL group percent of
decrease in AST and ALT between 3rd and 6th weeks was significant.
In HDWL group percent of increase in SBP, DBP, FBS and TG
between 3rd and 6th weeks was significant.
Conclusions: The study indicated beneficial effects of hypocaloric
legumes on metabolic features