Research published at the end of last year in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has indicated that bread made from a new type of flour can lower blood glucose levels and keep you fuller for longer.

The study, which was conducted by researchers from the School of Life Course and Population Sciences at the Quadram Institute investigated the effects of using a pulse-based flour in bread as opposed to regular wheat flour.

The research previously looked at the effects of ‘cellular chickpea flour’ on blood glucose levels, finding that using the flour reduced test subjects’ blood glucose levels by up to 40 percent in comparison with white bread. But the biggest findings of the latest step in this study is the increase in chemicals related to satiety to the brain after consuming bread made using the cellular chickpea flour. This results in the consumer feeling fuller after eating the bread, as well as this fullness lasting for a longer period of time.

“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,” said the first author of the paper Dr Balazs Bajka, lecturer in nutritional sciences.

Using this wheat flour alternative could result in meaningful beneficial effects for people with conditions related to diet, such as type 2 diabetes.

Senior author of the paper Dr Cathrina Edwards from the Quadram Institute said, “We have long known that the structure of food can have a big impact on its nutritional value. This study is a promising example of how new ingredient structures can be used successfully to improve the metabolic and fullness effects of everyday food products. We hope that our findings will attract interest from food producers looking to improve the health credentials of their products.”

While more testing is needed to see the effects of the cellular chickpea flour on the management of body weight and diabetes, there is hope that this new, healthier flour will be available for commercial use soon.