More Great News About Chickpeas Posted on October 3, 2018 | by Functional Developer | Leave a Comment on 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). Continue reading →
More Good News About Chickpeas Posted on May 30, 2017 | by Functional Developer | Leave a Comment on More Good News About Chickpeas Last month’s investigation into the metabolic effects of chickpea fiber showed that the nutritional powerhouse offers even greater benefits to the intestinal flora that we all want more of: Bifidobacterium. One of the key attributes to chickpeas is a unique type of fermentable fiber known as alpha-galactooligosccharide or alpha GOS. This fermentable fiber demonstrated consistent increases in butyrate production and had a number of favorable effects on a variety of biomarkers such as triglyceride, serum glucose, insulin, and glycated proteins that reflect processes such as insulin sensitivity and inflammation. While most fermentable fibers offer at least some benefit, more research is supporting the importance of fiber synergy as to offer food sources to multiple families of critical bacteria. This has led to a greater level of appreciation for the fiber found in whole plants as opposed to the types that are often added to fortified foods. None of the fiber found in Functional Formularies formulas is added; it is all naturally occurring in our organic, whole food ingredients. Continue reading →