Effects of a Legume-rich Diet in the Context of the Planetary Health Diet Compared to a Western-oriented Dietary Pattern in Participants with Increased Cardiometabolic Risk

The aim of the study is to systematically investigate the effects of a diet enriched with legumes in a dietary pattern approach (Planetary Health Diet) compared to a control diet low in legumes in older people with a risk phenotype for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. For this purpose, a controlled, six-week nutritional intervention study will be carried out in a parallel design. A total of 100 subjects (aged 50 - 75 years) will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups: i) a legume-rich diet based on the Planetary Health Diet, with a focus on plant protein, ii) a diet based on the Western dietary pattern including animal protein sources (= control diet). The target variables include parameters of lipid, glucose and insulin metabolism as well as biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial activation, proteomics and neurodegeneration markers. Furthermore, pulse wave velocity is measured to assess vascular function and neuropsychological target variables (e.g. hunger, satiety) are recorded using questionnaires.