title: The effects of legumes on metabolic features, insulin resistance and hepatic function tests in women with central obesity: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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 3(rd) and 6(th) weeks was significant. In HDWL group percent of increase in SBP, DBP, FBS and TG between 3(rd) and 6(th) weeks was significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study indicated beneficial effects of hypocaloric legumes on metabolic features.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Food and Beverages Safety Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Vital Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Rasool
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gharaaghaji
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Dietetics, Nutrition Research Center, School of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Bahram Pourghassem
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Gargari
keywords: Central obesity; hypocaloric diet; legumes; metabolic syndrome; premenopausal women