Insulin resistance, whereby insufficient insulin is released to produce a normal glucose response from fat, muscle and liver cells, was significantly lower following supplementation with whole and fractionate peal flours, according to findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
The study, by researchers from the University of Manitoba’s Richardson Center for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, builds on earlier findings for the same flours, which reported their potential for the production of low GI foods.
The potential of pulses
There are several reasons why pulses, like yellow peas, hold particular appeal for food manufacturers: They are readily available, low-cost, and provide dietary benefits, being low in fat, and high in fibre, antioxidants and protein. However, their use as food ingredients has so far been restricted due to unfavourable sensory characteristics.
The previous research, published in the Journal of Food Science (Vol. 74, pp. 385-389), examined whether it was possible to lower glycemic response (a rise in blood glucose) by using whole yellow pea flour in formulations while providing a flavour that would be acceptable to consumers.
Study details
The new study adds to these earlier findings by examining effects in overweight men and women with elevated cholesterol levels. Christopher Marinangelia and Peter Jones recruited 23 people to participate in their cross-over design study. The participants were assigned to eat two muffins per day containing whole pea flour, fractionated pea flour, or white wheat flour.
“Daily doses of whole pea flour and fractionated pea flour complied with the United States Department of Agriculture's recommended level of intake of half a cup of pulses/d (approximately 50 g/d),” explained the researchers.
After 28 days of supplementation, the researchers noted improvements in the insulin levels following consumption of muffins containing the whole and fractionated pea flours, compared with the wheat flour control.
Furthermore, fat around the waist and abdomen (android fat) was lower in the whole pea flour group, compared with the wheat flour group, said the researchers.
“Under a controlled diet paradigm, a daily consumption of whole and fractionated yellow pea flours at doses equivalent to half a cup of yellow peas per day reduced insulin resistance, while whole pea flour reduced android adiposity in women,” concluded Marinangelia and Jones.
Source: British Journal of Nutrition
Puiblished online ahead of print, First View Article, doi:10.1017/S0007114510003156
“Whole and fractionated yellow pea flours reduce fasting insulin and insulin resistance in hypercholesterolaemic and overweight human subjects”
Authors: C.P.F. Marinangeli, P.J.H. Jones