Effects of Pulse Consumption, Gut Microbiome, and Appetite in Healthy Participants

Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women (premenopausal only) * Age 20-55y (we will attempt to start baseline testing at the same time of the menstrual cycle (luteal) for the women * BMI ≥25 or ≤40 kg/m2 (most at risk for metabolic abnormalities and will benefit from a pulse intervention-2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese) * Weight stable (no fluctuations in body weight of greater than 4 kg in the last 3 months) * Willing to consume a research diet * Willing to provide blood and fecal samples * Sedentary to low active physical activity status (less than 7200 steps per day) * Stably treated with statin drugs, anti-hypertensives, and anti-depressants. These are acceptable as long as the drug category does not alter appetite, body weight, or the microbiome (if known) * Pre-diabetes acceptable (glucose \<125 mg/dL or HbA1c \< 6.5%) * At least one characteristic of the metabolic syndrome (but not diabetic) 1. A large waistline: 35 inches or more for women 40 inches or more for men 2. High triglycerides: 150 mg/dL or higher 3. Low HDLc level: \<50 mg/dL for women \<40 mg/dL for men 4. High blood pressure ≥130/85 mmHg 5. Fasting blood sugar ≥100 mg/dL - Pre-diabetes acceptable (glucose \<125 mg/dL or HbA1c \<6.5%) - Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or lactating * Postmenopausal (evidence suggests an interplay between the gut microbiome) * BMI of \<25 or \>40 kg/m2 * Use of medications that affect the gut microbiome (e.g. antibiotics) * Taking medications known to affect appetite (e.g., phentermine) or gastrointestinal function (e.g., metformin) * On a special diet or undergoing weight loss, vegetarian, or other restricted dietary patterns * Ad libitum intake of fiber above 25g/day (mean intake in the US population is 17g/day) and \< 10g/d * History of disease (example colon cancer, HIV, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders, etc.) * Use of tobacco products