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Bean Briefs - Part 2
July 27, 2007
Research Presented at Experimental Biology, 2007 - Washington DC.
Gastrointestinal discomfort from legumes varies with type and diminishes after four weeks - Authors: Winham D, Reeves P, Hutchins A, et al.
Supported by a Beans for Health Alliance research grant, this study examined the effect of consuming ½ cup of pinto beans, black eye peas, vegetarian baked beans or control (carrots) daily on perceptions of flatulence and gastrointestinal symptoms. As part of three eight-week studies that examined the effects of legumes on blood lipids, a questionnaire was administered to 40 men and women to identify perceived changes in flatulence with daily consumption of ½ cup legumes. Participants reported increased flatulence when consuming legumes, with differences among varieties, as compared to the control (carrots), with reports of flatulence diminishing over the study period.
Take Home Message:
Consumers commonly perceive that bean consumption is associated with flatulence. However, this study shows that with regular consumption of legumes, reported flatulence decreases with time.
Associations between body mass index and food groups in the multi-ethnic cohort study
Authors: Howarth NC, Murphy SP, Wilkens LR, et al.
Researchers examined the diets of 191,029 people, consisting of multiple ethnicities, to assess consumption of 15 specific food groups and overweight risk. Intakes of meat, poultry, fish, refined grains, vegetables in mixtures and potatoes were positively associated with risk for overweight. An inverse association was reported for fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. The strongest protective factors for overweight risk were legumes in men and legumes and nuts in women. In fact, a low-meat, high legume diet was associated with a 2.4 kg/m2 lower body mass index (BMI) than a high-meat, low-legume diet in all groups, but Latinos. The investigators concluded that diets lower in meats and higher in plant foods such as legumes are associated with a lower risk of overweight.
Take Home Message:
Obesity is growing in the United States and worldwide at alarming rates. While cause and effect cannot be established from this study, it provides more evidence that legume intake protects against obesity.
Baked bean consumption reduces total cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic adults
Authors: Winham D, Hutchins A.
This study funded by the Beans for Health Alliance examined the effect of consuming ½ cup of vegetarian baked beans daily on biomarkers for heart disease and type 2 diabetes among hypercholesterolemic adults. Participants consumed ½ cup daily of either vegetarian baked beans or a placebo for eight consecutive weeks with a 14-day minimum washout and then the treatment was reversed between the control and experimental groups. During the experimental periods, serum total cholesterol decreased by ~6% and LDL-cholesterol by ~5% as compared to the control periods. Thus, the inclusion of vegetarian baked beans as part of the routine diet may help reduce the cholesterol levels and risk of coronary heart disease.
Take Home Message:
This study adds to the growing body of research showing the cholesterol-lowering potential of dry beans.
Black-eye pea consumption reduces glycemic response to a high-glycemic index meal
Authors: Hutchins A, Winham D, Melde C.
In this Bean-for-Health-funded study, scientists examined the glycemic response to three dry bean varieties (pinto beans, black-eyed peas, navy beans), in two amounts each [low-dose (~1/2 cup) and high-dose (~one cup)], as complementary foods in the context of a high-glycemic treatment in non-insulin resistant participants. Black-eyed pea intake (~ ½ cup) as part of a meal reduced the glycemic response to high glycemic index foods even though it did not alter insulin response or indices of perceived satiety at this dosage. Consumption of pinto beans or navy beans in similar amounts (~ ½ cup) did not alter glucose or insulin response. Even though the high-dose black-eyed pea treatment did not alter the glycemic response to high glycemic index foods, it did result in greater perceived satiety post-treatment.
Take Home Message:
This is the first study to show that black-eye pea consumption can lower glycemic response to a high-glycemic index meal. This is relevant for people with diabetes looking to control their blood sugar and insulin.
In The Media - Source: Nutraingredients-USA.com, December 2006
Glycemic-control is still a rising star, says research, By Jess Haliday
Low-glycemic products are only just gaining momentum, according to Packaged Facts, which predicts that the glycemiccontrol angle will be an ever more pressing consideration for marketers and formulators in the coming years. Packaged
Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, has published a report entitled Low Glycemic Index Products in the US that predicts sales will experience compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.7% through 2011, when they will be worth $1.8 billion.
The report estimates that 2006 sales were in the region of $350 million. The CAGR from 2003 to 2005 was 55.4%, and the continuing growth indicates that it has a long way to go before the trend starts to run out of steam.
One of the drivers behind the trend is undoubtedly Americans’ shift towards healthier eating patterns. Awareness of the connection between diet and diabetes is also a factor: according to the American Diabetes Association, 20.8 million children and adults in the United States — seven percent of the population — have diabetes (types I and II). Of these, as many as 6.2 million are thought to be unaware that they have the disease.
Another is the availability of products in mainstream stores. “Low glycemic foods and beverages have made it out of their corners in health food stores to become a widely accepted addition to supermarkets, mass merchandisers and drug stores where they are often double marketed with like foods as well as in the diabetic supplies aisle,” said Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. “This exposure, positive press, and a wealth of new product offerings have helped create a remarkable growth market much akin to what low-carb was.”
Glycemic index is perhaps the most consumer-friendly measure of carbohydrates’ effect on blood sugar levels. It ranks individual foods according to their impact on blood sugar levels. But some believe that the index is too basic a measure and advocate that glycemic load may be more helpful, since it also considers the amount eaten and the foods’ context as part of the overall diet, thereby quantifying the potential glycemic impact of foods. The glycemic load is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index by the grams of carbohydrates in a serving.
The complex nature of carbohydrates’ effect is further underscored by the definitions drawn up by the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) Glycemic (Net) Carbohydrate Definition Committee and announced in September. While the committee intended to find just one definition to help food manufacturers communicate how the carbohydrate content of a product will affect blood glucose levels, the upshot of heated discussions amongst its members was four:
1. Available carbohydrate is “carbohydrate that is released from a food in digestion and which is absorbed as monosaccharides and metabolized by the body.”
2. Glycemic response is defined as “the change in blood glucose concentration induced by ingested food.”
3. Glycemic carbohydrate is “carbohydrate in a food which elicits a measurable glycemic response after ingestion.”
4. Glycemic impact is “the weight of glucose that would induce a glycemic response equivalent to that induced by a given amount of food.”
Moreover Danisco’s Stuart Craig, who is also AACC’s international president, said that it is likely the definition will not be the end point, but that the matter will continue to be debated in the future.
Take Home Message:
Researchers continue to debate the complexities of carbohydrates, but as more consumers recognize the value of low glycemic foods in relation to health and weight management, the market place for such foods is expanding.
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The United States Dry Bean Council (USDBC) is a private trade association in the United States that represents growers and shippers of U.S. edible dry beans. The USDBC promotes the use, consumption and marketing of edible dry beans worldwide.
United States Dry Bean Council
PO Box 550
Grapeview, WA 98546
Phone:360.277.0112 / Fax: 360.233.0621
E-mail: info@usdrybeans.com
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