Researchers examined data from nearly two dozen trials and found that participants who ate about three quarters of a cup of legumes every day lost about three quarters of a pound more than those who didn’t eat legumes, regardless of whether the diets were geared to weight loss. Lead author Dr. Russell de Souza told Reuters Health that legumes – or pulses, as they are known in many parts of the world – are an important sustainable protein source, plus they’re high in fiber. “Legumes also have a low ‘glycemic index,’ which means the carbohydrates in them do not raise blood sugars as rapidly as things like white bread or white flour,” said de Souza, a researcher with the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.