More Great News About Chickpeas

Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) are a major ingredient in Liquid Hope and Nourish. Research shows that chickpeas provide a wide variety of nutrients and regular consumption may be a good predictor of a person’s nutritional status⁽¹⁾. Additionally, other investigations have shown that chickpea consumption may offer several benefits with respect to a person’s overall health and well-being^(1,2,3). Now, new research is illustrating how these protective mechanisms and others develop through eating chickpeas. It’s all about a unique type of pre-biotic that chickpeas are a top source of: α-galactooligosaccharide or GOS. Research shows that GOS appears to feed some of the most important microbes that naturally produce anti-inflammatory substances. In one study, when obese mice were fed chickpeas, their pattern of metabolic syndrome improved significantly⁽⁴⁾. These results mirrored those that were observed in humans from a previous trial. Adults with obesity and similar patterns of insulin resistance were equally responsive to the GOS content of their diet, provided by chickpeas⁽⁵⁾.

What has been observed so far with chickpeas and their influence on the microbiomes of mice and humans may provide insight as to why animals that were fed Liquid Hope in a recent trial had positive overall outcomes. The mice that were fed Liquid Hope had healthier levels of commensal bacteria, less inflammation, and improved outcomes all-around, as compared to those on other, commercial enteral formulas (6). It could be the chickpeas, or the variety of other vegetable fibers, or the absence of added sugar or any sort of chemical, or the fact that it is entirely organic- or all of the above!

~ John Bagnulo MPH, PhD.

RESOURCES:

1. O’Neil CE, Nicklas TA , Fulgoni III VL (2014) Chickpeas and Hummus are associated with Better Nutrient Intake, Diet Quality, and Levels of Some Cardiovascular Risk Factors: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2010. J Nutr Food Sci 4: 254. doi: 10.4172/2155-9600.1000254

2. Murty CM, Pittaway JK and Ball MJ. Chickpea supplementation in an Australian diet affects food choice, satiety and bowel health. Appetite. 2010 Apr;54(2):282-8. Epub 2009 Nov 27. 2010.

3. Pittaway JK, Ahuja KDK, Robertson IK et al. Effects of a Controlled Diet Supplemented with Chickpeas on Serum Lipids, Glucose Tolerance, Satiety and Bowel Function. J. Am. Coll. Nutr., Aug 2007; 26: 334 – 340. 2007.

4. Daiz Z et al. Effects of α-Galactooligosaccharides from Chickpeas on High-Fat-Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Mice. J Agric Food Chem. 2017 Apr 19;65(15):3160-3166. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b00489. Epub 2017 Apr 6.

5. Morel FB et al. α-Galacto-oligosaccharides Dose-Dependently Reduce Appetite and Decrease Inflammation in Overweight Adults. J Nutr. 2015 Sep;145(9):2052-9. doi: 10.3945/jn.114.204909. Epub 2015 Jul 15.

6. Original Presentation, ASPEN. Yeh, Andrew and Morowitz, Michael. University of Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. January 2018.