Fava bean and buckwheat are sustainable food sources which support satiety and beneficially modulate several biomarkers, bacteria and metabolites associated with human health.

BACKGROUND

The world's population requires adequate food supply, satisfying specific nutrient requirements to meet dietary recommendations, promote nutrition security and sustain health, while stimulating agriculture biodiversity. This study assessed the potential of buckwheat and fava bean to diversify the source of dietary nutrients.

METHODS

Twenty healthy volunteers (n = 6 men, n = 14 women; 42.08 ± 12.12 years; body mass index 24.72 ± 4.69 kg/m) were recruited in a randomised controlled crossover study consisting of two seven-day intervention periods, buckwheat- and fava bean-based diets were provided to meet individual volunteers resting metabolic rate requirements. The study assessed subjective hunger and the impact of the diets on the gut microbiota composition and the plasma profiles of lipids, glucose, insulin, urea and homocysteine. Plasma, urine and faecal metabolites were also measured before and after consumption of each diet using targeted metabolomics (LC- and GC-MS).

RESULTS

Both intervention diets were as satiating as the volunteers' habitual diets (p = 0.234). The fava bean diet significantly reduced fasted plasma glucose and insulin and increased plasma homocysteine (p < 0.05). Buckwheat diet decreased plasma homocysteine (p < 0.01) and increased plasma, urine and faecal concentrations of salicylic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid. Both diets significantly increased plasma non-esterified fatty acids values, reduced plasma urea and faecal deoxycholic acid concentrations (p < 0.05). The fava bean diet provided significantly higher amounts of dietary fibre (both in comparison with habitual and buckwheat diet) significantly increasing the urine indole-3-propionic acid concentration (p < 0.01) (Day 0 vs. Day 7) and the faecal, plasma and urine indole-3-propionic acid concentrations (p < 0.01) (on Day 7 buckwheat vs. Day 7 fava bean diet). Furthermore, the fava bean diet promoted the growth of the gut bacterium Coprococcus eutactus (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Buckwheat and fava bean contribute in a sustainable way to meet dietary recommendations and to promote dietary diversification. Diets rich in buckwheat and fava bean were found to be satiating and to beneficially modulate several biomarkers, bacteria and metabolites which are correlated with prevention of metabolic disorders such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.