Pulses are the edible seeds of legumes and include peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas. The word pulse is derived from the Latin words puls or pultis, meaning thick soup.
Spurred on by significant media attention and industry education, the role of digestive health is increasingly being recognized by consumers and health practitioners as very important to overall well-being.
Synbiotics, a mixture of a reliable probiotic with an efficacious prebiotic in a food, beverage or supplement, is a growing concept involving the alteration of gut microbiota for improved health.
Consumers continue to eat and drink for health and are willing to pay more for functional properties. Probiotics, long limited to the dairy sector, are quickly expanding their potency and reach, while food formulators find new uses for galacto-oligosaccharides; not only do they help with taste and texture, but also with satiety.
Microorganisms have long been a part of the human diet. In particular, the Lactobacillus genus of bacteria has been consumed for centuries, after it was found the organisms were useful in increasing the shelflife of meat or milk, through fermentation.
Satiety-enhancing foods include some that are able to fill the gut but be markedly reduced (e.g., fiber, polydextrose), while others will affect the release of gut hormones, influencing satiety and appetite.
August 5/Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass./PRNewswire -- New research suggests that cranberry juice can be as effective as probiotics in maintaining good digestive health. The double-blind trial at the University of Chile found
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major catechin in green tea, is associated with reduced risk of cancer; improved gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health, glucose metabolism; and alleviation of allergies and arthritis.
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