Doctor says adding one thing to meals will 'change your health'

Doctor says adding one thing to meals will 'change your health' You likely won't even notice this added to food such as pasta sauce A doctor is urging people to add a cheap ingredient to their meals to “change their health”. According to the expert, this simple addition could help lower your cholesterol and weight. We are all well aware of the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet. What you eat can directly influence how well your body functions, even raising or lowering your risk of serious problems. Luckily, there are some simple rules you can follow to ensure you’re giving your body what it needs. In a video uploaded to his TikTok account, Doctor Rajan Karan explained one such rule. Dr Karan, who is better known as Dr Raj, told his more than five million followers they should be looking to add more beans to their food. By swapping out some meat for beans you could increase your fibre intake, while lowering your intake of saturated fat, he said. He referenced a study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2025, which saw 52 men swap out 200 grams of red processed meat in their weekly diet for the same amount of peas and faba beans (also known as fava beans or broad beans). Dr Raj said: “If you eat a lot of meat like I used to, this simple swap could change your health. “Scientists at the University of Helsinki instructed 51 men to reduce the amount of red meat and ultra-processed meat they were eating to just 200 grams a week, that’s seven ounces, equivalent to five per cent of their total protein intake. “Meanwhile, the men ate more legumes specifically, peas and faba beans, equivalent to 20 per cent of their total protein intake, and they continued eating chicken, eggs, fish and other protein sources as normal.” The results were significant. He continued: “Beyond the beans swap, the men were not told to eat any less or restrict any of their calories, but after just six weeks, they lost an average of one kilo or 2.2 pounds of weight and the changes didn't stop there. “By the end of the study, the men who had eaten legumes had low levels of total and LDL cholesterol [‘bad’ cholesterol], suggesting that the diet swap reduced their risk of heart disease. At the same time, the men's iron levels improved, which is surprising given that red meat is considered to be a good source of dietary iron.” He therefore encouraged people to top up their diets with more beans. He said: “Let's face it, we collectively eat more saturated fat than we should be and replacing a small portion of meat with beans is something every person could do. “For example, when you're next making spaghetti bolognese, use half the amount of beef mince and top it up with beans and you’d barely notice it because beans virtually taste of nothing and you're sneaking in fibre, polyphenols and a saturated fat-free protein source.” One of the study authors, professor of molecular nutrition Anne-Maria Pajari, said: “In a trial setting, participants often monitor their eating more closely, which may contribute to weight loss. But in this study, despite its relatively short duration, the legume group lost significantly more weight than the meat group. We didn’t encourage the participants to lose weight, but asked them to continue eating as before, apart from consuming the foods we provided.” She added: “In the short term, critical nutrient intake wasn’t jeopardised in the legume group. This was likely because the participants remained on mixed diets, rather than cutting out any foods entirely. However, research is needed on the effects of switching to plant-based diets on the body’s nutritional status, particularly in vulnerable population groups, such as children and older adults. “The legume food products we provided were quick to cook, making them easy to use. We also handed out recipes to encourage cooking. Based on our findings, I believe a moderate dietary change towards a more sustainable direction, using peas, beans and lentils, is possible for most of us.”