Beans protect against heart disease. (Scientific update: a review of recent scientific papers related to vegetarianism).

Vegetarians tend to have lower rates of heart disease than do non-vegetarians. Many factors have been hypothesized to lead to this reduced risk. A recent study suggests that vegetarians' use of beans may be one factor leading to their lower risk of heart disease. This study followed more than 9,600 men and women over approximately a 19-year period to determine what dietary factors increased their risk of developing heart disease. Eating beans four or more times a week reduced the risk of developing heart disease by 22%, as compared with eating beans fewer than once a week. Bean burrito, anyone?

Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, et al. 2001. Legume consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women. Arch Intern Med 161:2573-2578.