Chickpeas May Help with Weight Loss

By Jane Farrell

Eating about one serving a day of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can increase fullness, which may lead to better weight management and weight loss, a new study has found.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of all available clinical trials found that people felt 31 per cent fuller after eating on average 160 grams (5.6 ounces) compared with a control diet, according to senior author Dr. John Sievenpiper of St. Michael’s Hospital’s Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, in Toronto.

His group’s findings were published in the journal Obesity.

Sievenpiper said that despite their known health benefits, only 13 per cent of Canadians eat beans, chickpeas, peas or lentils on any given day and most do not eat a full serving, which is 130 grams or ¾ cup.

These foods have  low glycemic index (meaning that they are foods that break down slowly) and can be used to reduce or displace animal protein as well as “bad” fats such as trans fat in a dish or meal.

Sievenpiper noted that 90 per cent of weight loss interventions fail, resulting in weight regain, which may be due in part to hunger and food cravings. Knowing which foods make people feel fuller longer may help them lose weight and keep it off.