It’s lean, it’s laden with fill-you-up protein, and it helps keep your arteries clear. What is it?

It’s the mighty bean. Yep. Beans have it all -- including the ability to reduce the amount of artery-clogging fat in your blood.

Lower Lipids
In a study, people who ate a half cup of cooked pinto beans every day for 12 weeks experienced a drop in total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Which means beans could do great things for your heart health. Researchers theorize it’s the antioxidants in beans -- called polyphenols -- that may help lower blood lipids. Find out which kind of beans pack the best antioxidant punch.

More Heart Safeguards
One possible caveat: In the recent bean study, HDL (good) cholesterol dropped a bit, too -- something not seen in other bean studies. Follow-up research will be needed to see if it's a fluke or holds true. In the meantime, here are a bunch of other reasons to make beans your best friends:

• They help your pants fit better. Here's how.
• Thanks to all the fiber, they help control this.
• They can help prevent these nasty colon curses.

Beans also make a heart-smart (and budget-friendly) substitute for red meat in soups and stews. Learn how to prep beans in a snap with this video on soaking beans.