Nutritional and health benefits of a partial substitution of red and processed meat with non-soy legumes: a 6-week randomized controlled trial in healthy working-age men.

PURPOSE: Legumes are recommended as a sustainable alternative protein source to red and processed meat (RPM). We studied the effects of a partial substitution of RPM with non-soy legumes on nutrient intakes and status, anthropometric measurements, and biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes risk in healthy working-age men.

METHODS

In a 6-week clinical trial, 102 men (mean age 38 years, range 21-61) were randomized to either the MEAT group, consuming 760 g/week of RPM (25% of total protein intake (TPI)) or the LEGUME group, consuming 200 g/week of RPM corresponding to the maximum of the Planetary Health Diet (5% of TPI) along with legume-based foods containing protein equivalent to 560 g/week of red meat (20% of TPI). TPI target was 18 E%. Four-day food records, blood, and 24-h urine samples were collected at baseline and endpoint.

RESULTS

At the endpoint, the LEGUME group had higher intakes of fiber (g/MJ, P = 0.006), polyunsaturated fatty acids (E%, P < 0.001), and iron (mg/MJ, P < 0.001) compared to the MEAT group, but lower intakes of saturated fatty acids (E%, P = 0.012) and vitamin B12 (µg/MJ, P < 0.001). The LEGUME group had lower vitamin B12 status (holotranscobalamin, P = 0.022), iodine status (24-h urinary iodine excretion, P = 0.041), total and LDL cholesterol (both P < 0.001), and BMI and weight (both P = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

Implementing a moderate dietary shift by consuming more legumes and less RPM may beneficially affect biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases and weight in healthy working-age men while maintaining nutritional adequacy of iodine, iron, and vitamin B12 in the short term. Trial Registration Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT04599920 in October 2020.