Lentils and quinoa: pulses moved LDL a little, quinoa's weight trials disagree

Across 38 trials in 2,095 adults, eating whole pulses at a median 130 g a day for a median 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.4 mg/dL (95% CI -7.3 to -3.1; metric: 0.14 mmol/L, -0.19 to -0.08), at moderate to high certainty overall but with a thin lentil subgroup. The authors asked for more trials on lentils specifically. A second meta-analysis, of 21 trials in 940 people, found that about one serving of pulses a day gave 0.75 lb (0.34 kg) more weight loss over a median 6 weeks (95% CI -0.63 to -0.04), with beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas pooled together. Both effects are small and come from short trials. Quinoa has two meta-analyses that point in different directions. Across 7 small trials in 258 adults eating 0.53 to 1.8 oz (15 to 50 g) a day for 28 to 180 days, quinoa did not significantly change body weight (-1.2 lb (95% CI -6.7 to 4.3; metric: -0.54 kg, -3.05 to 1.97)) or BMI. An earlier pooling of 5 trials in 206 adults found 2.8 lb (1.26 kg) lost (95% CI -2.35 to -0.18) and total cholesterol down 6.86 mg/dL, and that analysis is itself built on few small trials. The trials so far are too few and too small to settle quinoa and weight either way.

How much is actually in it

• USDA lab samples put dry lentils at about 7.2 mg iron, 3.9 mg zinc and 949 mg potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g), above quinoa flour at 4.5 mg, 2.8 mg and 551 mg. — USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods: Lentils, dry and Flour, quinoa (8 samples each) (n = 16 samples) Evidence E source
  Lentils iron 7.158 mg (6.52-7.94), zinc 3.863 mg (3.04-4.34), potassium 948.9 mg (909-968); quinoa flour iron 4.528 mg (3.55-6.6), zinc 2.77 mg (2.06-3.25), potassium 550.9 mg (471-644)
• The UK composition table gives raw red lentils 25.6 g protein and 17.4 g fiber per 3.5 oz (100 g), against 13.8 g protein and 7.0 g fiber for raw quinoa, at similar calories. — CoFID 2021 records Lentils, red, split, dried, raw (13-657) and Quinoa, raw (14-843) (n = 2 composite records) Evidence E source
  Lentils 311 calories, protein 25.6 g, AOAC fiber 17.4 g, iron 7 mg; quinoa 309 calories, protein 13.8 g, AOAC fiber 7.0 g, iron 7.80 mg, fat 5.0 g
• USDA samples measured about 16 g resistant starch per 3.5 oz (100 g) of dry lentils, with no matching resistant starch value for quinoa in the same dataset. — USDA Foundation Foods: Lentils, dry (8 samples) (n = 8 samples) Evidence E source
  16.0 g/100 g (range 14.0-19.0)

What a real portion looks like

• In the USDA survey food table a cup of cooked lentils weighs 6.3 oz (180 g) and a cup of cooked quinoa 170 g. — USDA FNDDS household measures, Lentils, from dried, no added fat (41305000) and Quinoa, no added fat (56204005) Evidence E source
  Lentils 1 cup 180 g, 1 oz dry yields 70 g cooked; quinoa 1 cup cooked 170 g
• In a randomized crossover feeding trial in 18 adults, a 3.5 oz (98.5 g) serving of cooked lentils supplied 119 calories, 16% less than standard Atwater calculations. — 18 healthy adults (12 women, 6 men), controlled diets with 7-day fecal and urine collections (n = 18) Evidence B source
  498 +/- 17 kJ (119 +/- 4 calories) per serving; 16.0% lower than Atwater general factors (p<0.0001)
• Survey data show only about 1% of US adults ate quinoa on a recall day in 2013-2018. — US adults in NHANES 2013-2018, two 24-hour recalls (n = 14806) Evidence C source
  Prevalence of quinoa consumption 1.07%

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover isotope study in 19 women, only about 2.2% of iron from a lentil dal meal was absorbed, vs 23.6% from ferrous sulfate. — 19 nonpregnant women (6 anemic), 330 g dal with labeled lentils (n = 19) Evidence B source
  Iron absorption 2.20% +/- 3.40% dal vs 23.6% +/- 13.2% ferrous sulfate, P<0.001
• In a randomized trial in 65 trained young adults, lentils eaten after resistance exercise supported muscle protein synthesis comparable to egg, salmon, pork and mycoprotein. — 65 resistance-trained young adults, 0.25 g protein per kg body mass, lentil group n = 11 (n = 65) Evidence B source
  Change in MyoPS 0-300 min: lentils 0.029 +/- 0.012% per hour vs egg whites 0.050 +/- 0.013 (P = 0.077 between groups)

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA retention table, legumes boiled 15 to 20 minutes and drained keep 85% of iron and zinc, 75% of potassium and 60% of folate. — USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors Release 6, group Legumes and Legume Products, method code 501, table dated Sep-75 Evidence E source
  Iron 85%, zinc 85%, magnesium 80%, potassium 75%, thiamin 65%, folate 60% retained

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 7 trials in 258 adults eating 0.53 to 1.8 oz (15 to 50 g) quinoa a day found no significant change in body weight (-1.2 lb / -0.54 kg) or BMI. — adults aged 31 to 64, 28 to 180 days of quinoa (n = 258) Evidence A source
  BMI MD -0.25 (95% CI -0.98 to 0.47); body weight MD -1.2 lb (95% CI -6.7 to 4.3; metric: -0.54 kg, -3.05 to 1.97)
• A meta-analysis of 5 randomized trials in 206 adults found quinoa seed lowered body weight by 2.8 lb (1.26 kg) and total cholesterol by about 7 mg/dL. — adults in 5 RCTs, searched to February 2020 (n = 206) Evidence A source
  Weight -2.8 lb (95% CI -5.2 to -0.4; metric: -1.26 kg, -2.35 to -0.18); TC -6.86 mg/dL (95% CI -10.64 to -3.08); TG -7.20 mg/dL
• A meta-analysis of 21 randomized trials in 940 people found diets with about one serving of pulses a day led to 0.75 lb (0.34 kg) more weight loss over a median 6 weeks. — participants in 21 RCTs of 3 weeks or longer, median pulse intake 132 g/d (n = 940) Evidence A source
  -0.75 lb (95% CI -1.4 to -0.09; metric: -0.34 kg, -0.63 to -0.04)

Safety, limits and interactions

• A scoping review of 47 studies found lentil allergy among legume allergies often implicated in severe reactions, with no studies on labeling or education. — adults and children with chickpea, pea, lentil or lupine allergy (n = 47 studies) Evidence C source
  Direction only

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize a claim that quinoa stimulates the hair bulb and favors hair growth. — EU nutrition and health claims register Evidence E source
  Status Non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• A 2026 systematic review of 12 studies in people with celiac disease reported that quinoa modestly lowered cholesterol and no study found serious adverse events. — 1,066 participants with celiac disease on a gluten-free diet, trials and observational studies (n = 1066) Evidence C source
  Direction only for quinoa

What is still unknown

• A 2026 meta-analysis of 38 trials (2095 people) found whole pulses at about 130 g a day lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.4 mg/dL (0.14 mmol/L), and called for more lentil-specific trials. — adults in 38 trials (52 comparisons), median 6 weeks (n = 2095) Evidence A source
  LDL-C MD -5.4 mg/dL (95% CI -7.3 to -3.1; metric: -0.14 mmol/L, -0.19 to -0.08); non-HDL-C -8.5 mg/dL (-0.22 mmol/L)

The bottom line

Per 100 g dry, USDA samples put lentils at 7.2 mg iron, 3.9 mg zinc and 949 mg potassium against 4.5 mg, 2.8 mg and 551 mg in quinoa flour, which was sampled as flour and not as the whole seed. The UK table gives raw red lentils 25.6 g protein and 17.4 g fiber per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 13.8 g and 7.0 g for raw quinoa, at 311 and 309 calories, and it puts quinoa iron at 7.80 mg, above the US flour figure. Dry lentils held 16 g of resistant starch per 3.5 oz (100 g) in USDA samples, a value that cooking changes, and the dataset has no matching figure for quinoa. A cup of cooked lentils weighs 6.3 oz (180 g) in the US survey table and a cup of cooked quinoa 170 g. In a randomized crossover feeding trial in 18 adults, a 3.5 oz (98.5 g) serving of cooked lentils supplied 119 calories, 16 percent less than standard Atwater factors predict, a measurement made on lentils only. Iron is where lentils disappoint. In 19 non-pregnant women, 6 of them anemic, 2.20 percent of the iron in a 330 g lentil dal was absorbed against 23.6 percent from ferrous sulfate, in a single meal with high variability between women. In 65 resistance-trained young adults, muscle protein synthesis rose after exercise and a meal in every group, and the 11 who ate lentils did not differ significantly from those given egg whites, whole egg, salmon, pork or mycoprotein (P = 0.077), measured over 5 hours. The groups were small. Boiling legumes for 15 to 20 minutes and draining them keeps 85 percent of iron and zinc, 75 percent of potassium and 60 percent of folate by the USDA retention table, a factor for the food group, and that table has no factor for quinoa. Only 1.07 percent of 14,806 US adults ate quinoa on a recall day in 2013 to 2018, a single-day snapshot of habit. The EU looked at a claim that quinoa stimulates hair growth and did not authorize it. On safety, a scoping review of 47 mostly European studies found lentil, chickpea, pea and lupine allergies frequently implicated in severe allergic reactions, and it found no study on labeling or education for these allergens. In 12 studies of 1,066 people with celiac disease on a gluten-free diet, quinoa modestly lowered cholesterol and no study reported serious adverse events, in a narrative synthesis with few quinoa studies.

Sources

1. lnqn-r6-01 · food composition dataset
   Lentils, dry: Iron, Fe 7.158 MG range 6.52-7.94 n=8 · Zinc, Zn 3.863 MG range 3.04-4.34 n=8 · Potassium, K 948.9 MG range 909.0-968.0 n=8; Flour, quinoa: Iron, Fe 4.528 MG range 3.55-6.6 n=8 · Zinc, Zn 2.77 MG range 2.06-3.25 n=8 · Potassium, K 550.9 MG range 471.0-644.0 n=8
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-02
2. lnqn-r6-02 · food composition dataset
   Lentils, red, split, dried, raw, CoFID 13-657: Energy (kcal) 311 · Protein (g) 25.6 · AOAC fibre (g) 17.4 · Iron (mg) 7 · Zinc (mg) 3.3; Quinoa, raw, CoFID 14-843: Energy (kcal) 309 · Protein (g) 13.8 · AOAC fibre (g) 7.0 · Fat (g) 5.0 · Iron (mg) 7.80 · Zinc (mg) 3.3
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, codes 13-657 and 14-843 · checked 2026-10-02
3. lnqn-r6-03 · food composition dataset
   Lentils, dry: Resistant starch 16.0 G range 14.0-19.0 median 16.0 n=8
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-02
4. lnqn-r6-04 · food survey portion dataset
   FNDDS 41305000 Lentils, from dried, no added fat: 1 cup 180 g · 1 oz dry, yield after cooking 70 g · Quantity not specified 90 g; FNDDS 56204005 Quinoa, no added fat: 1 cup, cooked 170 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, codes 41305000 and 56204005 · checked 2026-10-02
5. lnqn-r6-07 · randomized crossover trial
   The metabolizable energy of the lentils is 498 ± 17 kJ/serving (119 ± 4 kcal/serving) (serving mass = 98.5 g), which is 16.0% lower (p < 0.0001) and 13.6% lower (p = 0.003) than the ME calculated using Atwater General or Specific Factors, respectively.
   Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
6. lnqn-r6-13 · cross-sectional survey
   The prevalence of barley, buckwheat and quinoa consumption among US adults were 0.36%, 0.04% and 1.07%, respectively.
   Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
7. lnqn-r6-06 · randomized crossover trial
   We found that the mean iron absorption from the dal was 2.20% ± 3.40% and was significantly lower than the 23.6% ± 13.2% observed from the same iron load given as ferrous sulfate (P < 0.001).
   J Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-10-02
8. lnqn-r6-08 · randomized controlled trial
   MyoPS rates increased after exercise/food ingestion with no (temporal) differences between groups despite divergent plasma amino acid responses [Δ change in fractional synthesis rates (0-300 min); egg whites, 0.050 ± 0.013; egg, 0.051 ± 0.009; pork, 0.008 ± 0.008; salmon, 0.021 ± 0.014; lentils, 0.029 ± 0.012; mycoprotein, 0.041 ± 0.012% per hour (P = 0.077)].
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
9. lnqn-r6-05 · retention factor dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:501 LEGUMES,CKD 15/20MIN,BOILED,DRAINED, group Legumes and Legume Products: folate_total_ug 60% retained, thiamin_mg 65%, potassium_mg 75%, magnesium_mg 80%, iron_mg 85%, zinc_mg 85%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Code 501 · checked 2026-10-02
10. lnqn-r6-09 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    In comparison between quinoa seed supplementation and placebo, our findings showed that quinoa seed supplementation did not have a significant effect on BMI (MD: -0.25; 95% CI: -0.98, 0.47; I2=0%, P = 0.998) and BW (MD: -0.54; 95% CI: -3.05, 1.97; I2=0%, P = 0.99), when compared with placebo.
    Curr Med Chem, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
11. lnqn-r6-10 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    The pooled result showed that quinoa seed supplementation significantly lowered the body weight (WMD: -1.26 kg, 95% CI: -2.35, -0.18, p = .02), waist circumference (WC) (WMD: -1.15 cm, 95% CI: -2.08, -0.21, p = .01), fat mass (FM) (WMD: -0.59%, 95% CI: -1.14, -0.03, p = .03), insulin serum level (WMD: -0.86 pmol/L, 95% CI: -13.38, -1.59, p = .01), triglyceride (TG) (WMD: -7.20 mg/dl, 95% CI: -9.52, -4.87, p < .001), total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: -6.86 mg/dl, 95% CI: -10.64, -3.08, p < .001), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) (WMD: -3.08 mg/dl, 95% CI: -5.13, -1.03, p = .003) levels.
    Phytother Res, 2021 · checked 2026-10-02
12. lnqn-r6-12 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    The pooled analysis showed an overall significant weight reduction of -0.34 kg (95% CI: -0.63, -0.04 kg; P = 0.03) in diets containing dietary pulses (median intake of 132 g/d or ∼1 serving/d) compared with diets without a dietary pulse intervention over a median duration of 6 wk.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-10-02
13. lnqn-r6-15 · scoping review
    Nonpriority legume allergies, which include chickpea, pea, lentil, and lupine, are frequently implicated in severe allergic reactions. ... Moreover, no studies addressed labeling or educational needs for these allergens.
    J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract, 2021 · checked 2026-10-02
14. lnqn-r6-16 · regulatory register
    POL-HC-7865 Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) Stimulation of the hair bulb, favouring the growth of the hair Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7865, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-02
15. lnqn-r6-14 · systematic review
    Quinoa modestly lowered cholesterol, and amaranth enhanced growth and corrected trace element deficiencies in children. No study reported serious adverse events; adherence improved when prebiotics diversified the GFD.
    J Gastrointestin Liver Dis, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
16. lnqn-r6-11 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Thirty-eight trials (52 trial comparisons, n=2095) with a median of 6 weeks and dose of 130 g/d (0.5-0.67 cup/d) showed that whole dietary pulses decreased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (mean difference, -0.14 mmol/L [95% CI, -0.19 to -0.08]) ... Future studies on chickpeas, dried peas, and lentils are warranted.
    J Am Heart Assoc, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02