Scientists Have Engineered A New Type of Flour That Keeps You Fuller For Longer
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Loading... - Laura McLean
- 22 Feb 2023
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Scientists have used a specially engineered flour to make a bread that keeps you fuller for longer and lowers blood glucose levels, potentially offering a healthier alternative that lowers the risk of obesity and diabetes.
The new flour is based on pulses, which include chickpeas, lentils, and beans. Already known to be useful for helping us maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of heart disease, the benefits largely rely on the plant material retaining its integrity. In the production of ordinary wheat flour, the advantages of this fiber structure are believed to thanks to the milling process.
"At a time that we are all being encouraged to increase our fiber intake, this study highlights the importance of the physical form of fiber, as intact cell walls, in slowing starch digestion, improving blood glucose levels and simulating satiety hormones help us feel full," says biochemist Peter Ellis, from King's College London in the UK.
After producing their flour and baking their bread, the researchers tested it on 20 healthy individuals, who were served up samples of white bread with 0 percent, 30 percent, and 60 percent of chickpea flour in them. Jam with no added sugar was added for flavor.
The chickpea-enhanced bread tended to make the volunteers feel fuller according to their own self-reporting. Blood analysis suggested this was the result of an increased release of hormones that promoted satiety.
Then there was the blood glucose reduction: the 30 percent chickpea flour reduced blood glucose levels by up to 40 percent, with a drop of almost as much observed from the 60 percent chickpea flour compared to regular flour. That's down to the starch taking longer to break down in the body, the researchers say.
"We were impressed with the results we've seen in healthy individuals, and now would like to see how our cellular chickpea flour bread can help in the management of body weight or diabetes in larger scale dietary intervention trials with people who suffer with these conditions," says gut physiologist Balazs Bajka, from King's College London. Read More…
