Eating one serving of beans a day could significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular illness, according to a recent study.

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital found that eating one serving of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils a day could lower bad cholesterol by 5 percent and therefore reduce the risk of heart illness, according to a press release.

But most people in North America would have to more than double their consumption of these foods known as pulses to reach their target, according to researchers.

One serving of legumes is 130 grams or ¾ cup, but North Americans on average eat less than half a serving a day. Legumes have a low glycemic index, meaning that they are foods that break down slowly, and tend to reduce or displace animal protein as well as "bad" fats such as trans fat in a dish or meal.

"We have a lot of room in our diets for increasing our pulse intake to derive the cardiovascular benefits," Dr. John Sievenpiper, leader of the study, said in a statement. "Pulses already play a role in many traditional cuisines, including Mediterranean and South Asian. As an added bonus, they're inexpensive. Since many pulses are grown in North America, it's also an opportunity to buy and eat locally and support our farmers."

For the study, researchers reviewed data from 26 randomized trials that included 1,037 people.

They found that men had greater reduction in their bad cholesterol compared with women.  Researchers said this may be because their diets are poorer and cholesterol levels are higher and benefit more markedly from a healthier diet.

Some volunteers reported stomach upset such as bloating, gas, diarrhea or constipation, but these symptoms subsided over the course of the study.

The findings were recently published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.