How a Daily Cup of Beans and Acupressure Can Transform Your Heart Health

Discover How a Simple Diet Change and TCM Can Help Lower Cholesterol and Reduce Inflammation

If you’re a busy woman trying to stay on top of your health—especially heart health—there’s good news. A new study has uncovered something incredibly simple: eating just one cup of beans a day can significantly improve your cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation, two major risk factors for heart disease.

This research, conducted by the Illinois Institute of Technology, found that adding beans to your daily diet doesn’t just keep you full—it supports your heart in measurable ways. When paired with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practices like acupressure, the benefits may go even further. You can read the full study summary here.

The Research: How Beans Helped People With Prediabetes Improve Heart Health

The study involved 72 adults with prediabetes, a condition that significantly increases the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Over a 12-week period, participants were divided into three groups. Each group added one of the following to their daily diet:

• 1 cup of chickpeas
• 1 cup of black beans
• 1 cup of white rice (control group)

Participants otherwise maintained their usual diets. Blood samples were taken at the beginning, midpoint (week 6), and end (week 12) to monitor changes in:

• Total cholesterol
• LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
• HDL (“good”) cholesterol
• Triglycerides
• Inflammatory markers
• Blood glucose levels

Key Results: Chickpeas and Black Beans Deliver Heart-Healthy Benefits

Here’s what the researchers found:

Chickpeas:

• Total cholesterol decreased by 5.3%
• LDL cholesterol dropped by 7.5%
• Triglycerides decreased by 7.4%
• Inflammatory markers improved significantly by week 6

Black beans:

• Inflammation continued to decrease through week 12
• Moderate cholesterol improvements were observed

White rice (control group):

• No significant improvements in cholesterol or inflammation

Interestingly, there were no changes in blood glucose levels in any of the groups. The benefits were largely cardiovascular.

Although the study has not yet been peer-reviewed and had a relatively small sample size, the findings point to how small dietary changes can make a meaningful impact on heart health.

TCM Wisdom: Support Your Heart Naturally With Acupressure

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart—or Xin—governs not only blood circulation but also mental and emotional balance. When the heart’s energy is disturbed, symptoms like anxiety, restlessness, and fatigue can appear. Acupressure is one of the simplest TCM practices you can do at home to help keep your heart Qi in balance.

Acupressure is safe, gentle, and easy to incorporate into your daily routine. It’s especially useful when paired with dietary improvements like increased legume intake.

3 Acupressure Points to Strengthen Heart and Circulatory Health

Kidney 7 (KD-7 – “Returning Current”)

Location: Three finger-widths above the inner ankle bone, on the inside of the lower leg

Benefits: Strengthens Kidney Qi, regulates body fluids, and helps maintain internal balance—vital for supporting heart stability in TCM

Spleen 4 (SP-4 – “Grandfather Grandson”)

Location: On the inner edge of the foot, just below the base of the big toe

Benefits: Enhances circulation, eases emotional stress, and supports digestive health, which is closely connected to the heart in TCM theory

Bladder 12 (BL-12 – “Wind Gate”)

Location: On the upper back, approximately 1.5 cun (about two finger-widths) lateral to the lower border of the second thoracic vertebra (T2), Benefits: Strengthens the immune system, supports lung function, and helps regulate chest Qi, which is closely tied to heart energy

To explore more about the TCM perspective on cardiovascular support, read our full guide to acupressure for heart, including recommended point combinations and routines.

How to Practice Acupressure at Home

Step 1: Locate each point using your fingers and anatomical landmarks

Step 2: Apply gentle, steady pressure using your thumb or index finger

Step 3: Hold each point for 1–2 minutes while breathing slowly and deeply

Step 4: Repeat daily or whenever you feel emotionally or physically off-balance

Your Takeaway: Simple, Sustainable Self-Care for a Healthier Heart

Improving your heart health doesn’t have to involve drastic changes. Adding one cup of beans to your meals and practicing a few minutes of acupressure each day can create a powerful, sustainable heart-health routine.

This small daily investment in your diet and self-care routine may help reduce cholesterol, ease inflammation, and bring your body back into balance—one bean, and one breath, at a time.

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