Legumes
From the YapSpan Longevity Wiki · Updated 2026-10-01
Legumes, also called pulses when dried, are the edible seeds of plants in the pea family. They include beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas and, in some definitions, soybeans and peanuts. Legumes are rich in plant protein and dietary fiber, low in fat, and a staple food in many traditional diets.
In a meta-analysis (a study that pools the results of earlier studies) of prospective studies (studies that follow people forward in time) that included 1,141,793 participants, the highest legume intake was associated with 6% lower all-cause mortality (death from any cause) than the lowest, based on 27 studies [1]. The evidence is observational, and the authors rated its certainty low to moderate.
- The highest legume intake went with a hazard ratio (a measure of how fast deaths occur in one group compared with another) of 0.94 for all-cause mortality compared with the lowest, across 27 studies [1].
- Each extra 50 g a day of legumes was linked to 6% lower all-cause mortality [1].
- Higher legume intake was linked to 9% lower stroke mortality, but not to lower cardiovascular disease mortality overall [1].
- A 2025 umbrella review (a review of earlier reviews and meta-analyses) of 41 meta-analyses also found favourable results for legumes when comparing high with low intake [2].
- In Hong Kong older adults, the highest quarter of legume intake had 25% lower all-cause mortality than the lowest [3].
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