Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2018 and is preserved for historical interest. Some recommendations, regulations, and scientific evidence have changed since it was written. It reflects the research and perspectives available at that time.
Research appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (January 2008, Volume 87, Number 1, Pages 162-167) looked at the dietary habits of 64,000 women over a period of nearly five years, and correlated their diets to the development of type-2 diabetes. There was an inverse relationship between the consumption of legumes and the development of type-2diabetes. Using food intake questionnaires, the researchers found that those who consumed a lot of legumes had a 38% reduction in the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Consumption of soybeans (not soy milk or soy protein), in particular, was associated with a 47% reduction in risk.
