Pulse consumption improves indices of glycemic control in adults with and without type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of acute and long-term randomized controlled trials
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Purpose: Findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of pulse intake on glycemic control are inconsistent and conclusive evidence is lacking. The aim of this study was to systematically review the impact of pulse consumption on post-prandial and long-term glycemic control in adults with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Databases were searched for RCTs, reporting outcomes of post-prandial and long-term interventions with different pulse types on parameters of glycemic control in normoglycemic and T2D adults. Effect size (ES) was calculated using random effect model and meta-regression was conducted to assess the impact of various moderator variables such as pulse type, form, dose, and study duration on ES. Results: From 3334 RCTs identified, 65 studies were eligible for inclusion involving 2102 individuals. In acute RCTs, pulse intake significantly reduced peak post-prandial glucose concentration in participants with T2D (ES – 2.90; 95%CI – 4.60, – 1.21; p ≤ 0.001; I2 = 93%) and without T2D (ES – 1.38; 95%CI – 1.78, – 0.99; p ≤ 0.001; I2 = 86%). Incorporating pulse consumption into long-term eating patterns significantly attenuated fasting glucose in normoglycemic adults (ES – 0.06; 95%CI – 0.12, 0.00; p ≤ 0.05; I2 = 30%). Whereas, in T2D participants, pulse intake significantly lowered fasting glucose (ES – 0.54; 95%CI – 0.83, – 0.24; p ≤ 0.001; I2 = 78%), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA 1c) (ES – 0.17; 95%CI – 0.33, 0.00; p ≤ 0.05; I2 = 78) and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (ES – 0.47; 95%CI – 1.25, – 0.31; p ≤ 0.05; I2 = 79%). Conclusion: Pulse consumption significantly reduced acute post-prandial glucose concentration > 1 mmol/L in normoglycemic adults and > 2.5 mmol/L in those with T2D, and improved a range of long-term glycemic control parameters in adults with and without T2D. PROSPERO registry number: (CRD42019162322).
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Carbohydrate-rich foods that may be more effective in ameliorating postprandial hyperglycemia and IR include legumes/pulses, whole grains, and pasta.
“Carbohydrate-rich foods that may be more effective in ameliorating postprandial hyperglycemia and IR include legumes/pulses [85,86,87], whole grains [88,89,90,91], and pasta [92].”
From Effects of diet, lifestyle, Chrononutrition and alternative dietary interventions on postprandial Glycemia and insulin resistance (2022) · cites this paper as [85]
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References 106 · Cited by 38
- Authors
- Hafiz, M. S., Campbell, M. D., O’Mahoney, L. L., Holmes, M., Orfila, C., & Boesch, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Leeds (GB)
- University of Leicester (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Boesch, Christine
- ORCID
- Venue
- European Journal of Nutrition
- Published
- 2021-09-29
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 809-824
- ISSN
- 1436-6207 (ISSN-L)
- 1436-6215
- PMC
- PMC8854292
- OpenAlex
- W3202516774
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 106
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 6
- FWCI
- 0.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- European Journal of Nutrition (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
- Sunderland Repository (University of Sunderland) (acceptedVersion)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Apollo
- Funders
- King Abdulaziz University (PhD scholarship)
- University of Leeds
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Food composition and properties
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Natural Antidiabetic Agents Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Keywords
- Fabaceae, legume consumption, glycemic control, type 2 diabetes, postprandial blood glucose, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance, HOMA-IR, dietary intervention, dietary fiber, dietary protein, dietary fat, dietary fiber to protein ratio, dietary glycemic index
- MeSH terms
- Glycemic Control, Adult, Blood Glucose, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Heart Rate, Glycated Hemoglobin, Humans, Insulin, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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