Carbohydrate Fractions in Chickpeas, Lentils and Dry Peas

Abstract

Pulses, which include dry peas, lentils and chickpeas, have been domesticated since Neolithic times and comprise a healthy component of the diet. The Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee acknowledges the consumption of pulses as having a positive outcome for a number of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. The report further identifies fiber as being under‐consumed and also indicates that pulses are good sources. Fiber is of particular interest due to its role in the maintenance of a healthy microbiome, which is increasingly identified as an important contributor to good health. Although pulses are included in USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR), they were last analyzed over 30 years ago; no data on cultivar, growing conditions and agricultural practices were obtained at that time. At that time, only total dietary fiber by the enzymatic‐gravimetric method was determined; no values were obtained for sugars or starch. The aim of this project is to obtain and provide updated and more detailed information on the nutrient content of pulses and expand the data to include compounds of emerging public health interest. Samples from the 2014 harvest for dry peas (9 cultivars green; 8 cultivars yellow), lentils (3 cultivars green; 1 cultivar red) and chickpeas have been collected from four high producing states (Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Washington).Samples were analyzed using accepted methods (AOAC), in qualified labs and under rigorous quality control procedures. Starch values in dried peas range from 42.5 – 49.6 g/100g, while in lentils values range from 40.4 – 48.6 g/100g. The most common sugar in pulses is sucrose and values range from 0.59 – 1.62 g/100 in raw lentils and from 1.47 – 3.62 g/100g in dried peas. Sucrose values in chickpeas range from 2.62 g/100g in small chickpeas to 3.62 g/100g in large Kabuli. Values for glucose and fructose are found in lower quantities, while galactose and lactose were not detected. Maltose was found in a few lentil samples, but was not detected in most. Dietary fiber is being analyzed by both the new Codex Method (AOAC 2009.01 and 2011.25), as well as the existing enzymatic‐gravimetric method. These new data will be disseminated in future revisions of the SR. Expanding the data on carbohydrate fractions in pulses will facilitate research on their role in the microbiome and its impact on health.Support or Funding InformationUSA Dry Pea & Lentil Council and USDA