May 4, 2006 – Venezuelan researchers have developed a natural method of removing substances from legumes that cause intestinal gas to form. The results of their work will be published in the July issue of Journal of the Science of Food & Agriculture.
Although broad beans, peas, lentils and beans are very nutritious foods, many people avoid consuming them because of the gas they cause. This is because legumes contain alphagalactosides, fibers that produce gas when they break down under the action of intestinal bacteria.
The process developed by these researchers involves subjecting legumes to lactofermentation, which makes them more digestible. The method is not new in itself since it has been used for centuries in Asia, especially by the Japanese who are masters in the art of fermenting legumes. Miso, for example, is the product of the lactic acid fermentation of the soybean.
In addition to making legumes more digestible, lactofermentation improves their nutritional value and flavor. It also facilitates the digestion of their precious proteins.
As part of their work, scientists at Simon Bolivar University in Caracas, Venezuela used the bacteria Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum found naturally in the human digestive system. They demonstrated that a 48-hour fermentation under the action of these bacteria resulted in a 72% decrease in the alphagalactoside content of legumes. Their results indicate that after four days of fermentation, the legumes only contained 5% of these substances.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to HealthDay News and Innovations Report.
