Glycemic Responses and Sensory Characteristics of Whole Yellow Pea Flour Added to Novel Functional Foods

Pulses, including yellow peas, are readily available and low-cost commodities that are gaining considerable momentum as functional ingredients possessing health benefits, as these food materials are high in fiber, protein, antioxidants, and low in fat. As incidence rates of type II diabetes continue to climb, new novel ingredients that produce low-glycemic food products are in demand. Consumption of whole pulses have been shown to lower post-prandial glycemic responses (Jenkins and others 1983), however, their addition to foods often produces unfavorable sensory characteristics. To date, few studies have examined the feasibility of producing food products containing pulse-derived ingredients that reduce post-prandial glycemic responses, lower glycemic indexes (GI) and at the same time possess sensory qualities that appeal to consumers. Since yellow peas are readily available and relatively inexpensive, they are a promising candidate for use as novel ingredients for the development of low-glycemic, consumer-friendly functional foods.

The objective of the present study was to first determine the post-prandial glycemic response and GI of novel foods containing whole yellow pea flour (WYPF) as a functional ingredient. The second objective was to determine the acceptability of sensory characteristics for each WYPF food product.

Inclusion criteria

• healthy men
• non-lactating women
• BMI's between 18 and 31 kg/m2

Exclusion criteria

• heart disease
• diabetes
• thyroid disease
• celiac disease
• gluten intolerance
• taking corticosteroid medications
• smokers
• Chronic alcohol usage (> 2 drinks/d)