Consuming as little as one-half cup of cooked dry beans every day helped volunteers lower their total cholesterol levels in an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study in North Dakota. These results, published in the Journal of Nutrition by the ARS scientists and their colleagues, add to a growing—and convincing—body of evidence that beans are a heart-healthy food choice.

Meanwhile, the American Heart Association notes that eating more nutritious, plant-based foods is heart-healthy at any age, according to two research studies published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access journal of the American Heart Association (AHA).

In two separate studies analyzing different measures of healthy plant food consumption, researchers found that both young adults and postmenopausal women had fewer heart attacks and were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease when they ate more healthy plant foods—including beans.

The American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations recommend eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts and legumes and non-tropical vegetable oils. It also advises limited consumption of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, red meat, sweets and sugary drinks.

“Substituting plant-based proteins for red meat can lower blood cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease,” the AHA wrote on its website. “Adding beans and other legumes to your diet may also help you feel full longer because of the high dietary fiber content.”

There are many varieties of beans to choose from, and each kind might have its own benefits. 

If you use canned beans, the AHA notes, choose the no-salt-added or low-sodium options. Drain and rinse canned beans in a colander to help remove excess sodium. Dried beans can be prepared without added salt.