Faba bean protein flours added to pasta reduce post-ingestion glycaemia, and increase satiety, protein content and quality

The hypothesis that adding faba bean (FB) flour and its macronutrient concentrated flours to pasta reduces postprandial glycaemia and increases satiety was tested in 54 young adult males. Each consumed a serving of pasta made from durum wheat semolina (DWS) alone, or DWS flour with 25% of flours from whole FB (FBF), starch concentrate (FBS), protein concentrate (FBPC), or protein isolate (FBPI). Post-consumption measurements included postprandial blood glucose, insulin, C-peptide, GLP-1 and PYY, and subjective appetite, over 120 min. Second meal effects of treatments were assessed after participants consumed either an ad libitum or fixed size meal (12 kcal kg−1) at a pizza meal at 120 min. Additions of FB flours from FBPC and FBPI reduced postprandial glycaemia and appetite, increased protein content and quality of the pastas and PYY and C-peptide responses, but had no effect on plasma insulin or GLP-1. In conclusion, DWS pastas with added faba bean protein flour reduce postprandial BG and appetite and have higher nutritional quality. The clinical trial registry number is NCT02658591 https://clinicaltrials.gov.