The Beans for Health Alliance

Partnering to promote the health benefits of beans around the world.

U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2005

Beans have been garnering quite a bit of press coverage lately…in January 2005, the sixth edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released, providing science-based advice to promote health and reduce risk of chronic diseases through nutrition and physical activity. The Guidelines recognize beans as a necessary part of a healthy diet and encourage people to eat at least three cups of beans per week.*

The Guidelines classify beans as a vegetable and as a non-meat protein source because they contain nutrients found in both of the respective food groups. Specifically, Americans are encouraged to eat nine servings (4 ½ cups) of fruits and vegetables daily, choosing a variety from the five veggie subgroups: dark green, orange and starchy veggies, legumes (dry beans), and all others vegetables.

Beans and legumes are spotlighted again in the Dietary Guidelines as a nutrient-rich carbohydrate source. Dietary fiber has numerous proven health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and some cancers, promoting regularity and helping with weight maintenance.

As the Dietary Guidelines point out, beans and legumes are an important part of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

How to fit legumes into your diet.

For more information, please visit: www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines

* Recommendation is for a 2000 calorie diet and may vary depending on higher or lower calorie levels.

U.S. Dietary Guidance Statement

Not to be confused with the Dietary Guidelines, additional research has shown that "Diets including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers."

Dietary health messages are NOT health claims, but statements encouraging healthy eating among consumers.

If there was ever a doubt before, now it’s certain that beans are an essential part of maintaining health and reducing the risk of disease.

Confused about the difference between Dietary Guidelines, guidance statements, and FDA health claims? Here’s the distinction:

• A dietary guidance message encourages consumers to eat healthier and make better food choices by communicating about general dietary patterns, practices and recommendations that promote health.

• The only other existing dietary guidance statement is, “Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases.”

• Dietary guidance statements draw a relationship between a food and a health condition, whereas health claims show a relationship between a specific nutrient or other substance (such as omega-3 fatty acids) found in a food and a health condition.