Canned Navy Bean Consumption Reduces Metabolic Risk Factors Associated with Obesity

Autoclaved and Extruded Legumes as a Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals: A Review

Legumes have been consumed since ancient times all over the world due to their easy cultivation and availability as a low-cost food. Nowadays, it is well known that pulses are also a good source of bioactive phytochemicals that play an important role in the health and well-being of humans. Pulses are mainly consumed after processing to soften cotyledons and to improve their nutritive and sensorial characteristics. However, processing affects not only their nutritive constituents, but also their bioactive compounds. The final content of phytochemicals depends on the pulse type and variety, the processing method and their parameters (mainly temperature and time), the food matrix structure and the chemical nature of each phytochemical. This review focuses on the changes produced in the bioactive-compound content of pulses processed by a traditional processing method like cooking (with or without pressure) or by an industrial processing technique like extrusion, which is widely used in the food industry to develop new food products with pulse flours as ingredients. In particular, the effect of processing methods on inositol phosphates, galactosides, protease inhibitors and phenolic-compound content is highlighted in order to ascertain their content in processed pulses or pulse-based products as a source of healthy phytochemicals.

Plasma and Urine Metabolite Profiles Impacted by Increased Dietary Navy Bean Intake in Colorectal Cancer Survivors: A Randomized-Controlled Trial

Navy beans contain bioactive phytochemicals with colon cancer prevention properties as demonstrated in carcinogen-induced animal models. Human studies support that dietary navy bean intake modulates metabolism by the gut microbiome. This study investigated the effect of navy bean ingestion on plasma and urine metabolite profiles of overweight and obese colorectal cancer survivors. Twenty participants completed a single-blinded, randomized-controlled dietary intervention with precooked navy beans (35 g bean powder/day) or control (0 g/day) for 4 weeks. Plasma and urine were collected at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks following consumption. Nontargeted metabolomics was applied to study meals and snacks, navy beans, plasma, and urine. Increased navy bean consumption was hypothesized to (i) delineate dietary biomarkers and (ii) promote metabolic shifts relevant for cancer protection in the plasma and urine metabolome. At 4 weeks, 16 plasma and 16 urine metabolites were significantly different in the navy bean intervention group compared with placebo control (P < 0.05). Increased plasma 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutyrate (1.34-fold), S-methylcysteine (1.92-fold), and pipecolate (3.89-fold), and urine S-adenosylhomocysteine (2.09-fold) and cysteine (1.60-fold) represent metabolites with cancer-protective actions following navy bean consumption. Diet-derived metabolites were detected in plasma or urine and confirmed for presence in the navy bean intervention meals and snacks. These included 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate, betaine, pipecolate, S-methylcysteine, choline, eicosapentaenoate (20:5n3), benzoate, S-adenosylhomocysteine, N-delta-acetylornithine, cysteine, 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)lactate, gentisate, hippurate, 4-hydroxyhippurate, and salicylate. The navy bean dietary intervention for 4 weeks showed changes to pathways of metabolic importance to colorectal cancer prevention and merit continued attention for dietary modulation in future high-risk cohort investigations. PREVENTION RELEVANCE: This clinical study suggests that increased consumption of navy beans would deliver bioactive metabolites to individuals at high risk for colorectal cancer recurrence and produce metabolic shifts in plasma and urine profiles.

Regular Black Bean Consumption Is Necessary to Sustain Improvements in Small-Artery Vascular Compliance in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat

Edible legume seeds, such as lentils, have been shown to modulate the structural and functional properties of hypertensive blood vessels, however, the effects of dried beans have not been similarly evaluated. To determine whether beans could attenuate hypertension-induced vascular changes (remodeling and stiffness) in relation to their phytochemical content, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were fed diets containing black beans (BB; high phytochemical content as indicated by their dark seed coat colour) or navy (white) beans (NB; low phytochemical content) for eight weeks. An additional follow-up phase was included to determine how long the alterations in vascular properties are maintained after bean consumption is halted. Assessments included blood pressure (BP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), vessel compliance (small-artery) and morphology (large-artery), and body composition. Neither BBs nor NBs altered BP or PWV in SHR. SHR-BB demonstrated greater medial strain (which is indicative of greater elasticity) at higher intraluminal pressures (80 and 140 mmHg) compared to SHR-NB. BB consumption for 8 weeks enhanced vascular compliance compared to SHR-NB, as demonstrated by a rightward shift in the stress-strain curve, but this improvement was lost within 2 weeks after halting bean consumption. BB and NB increased lean mass after 8 weeks, but halting BB consumption increased fat mass. In conclusion, regular consumption of BBs may be appropriate as a dietary anti-hypertensive strategy via their positive actions on vascular remodeling and compliance.

Baking performance of 25 edible dry bean powders: Correlation between cookie quality and rapid test indices

This study was designed to evaluate the baking performances of 25 edible dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties and to investigate correlations among cookie features and rapid test indices (i.e., water and lactic acid retention capacities, oil binding capacity and Rapid Visco Analyzer indices). Two bean powder particle sizes (≤0.5 mm, ≤1.0 mm) were investigated. Cookies were evaluated in terms of nutritional, geometrical and textural properties. Bean powders doubled the amount of cookie protein and increased cookie resistant starch content. Baking potential varied according to bean genotype and powder particle size: coarse powders resulted in larger (+26%) and thinner (-19%) cookies characterized by easier breaking texture (fracture strengths of 41-157 vs. 48-226 kPa for fine powders). Water retention and oil binding capacities and pasting properties significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with cookie features. In conclusion, these accumulated findings can be used in designing value-added traditional and gluten-free cookies.