The Effect of Navy Bean Flour Particle Size on Carbohydrate Digestion Rate Measured in Vitro The consumption of navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is associated with reduced cardiometabolic risk factors such as improved blood glucose control. Navy bean flours retain the nutritional benefits of navy beans, which are high in protein and fiber and low in fat and sugar. However, the particle size of navy bean flours can vary depending on the milling technology used. The purpose of this study was to investigate the carbohydrate digestion rate of navy bean flours with various particle sizes. Five samples each of raw and baked flours with the following volume-weighted mean particle sizes were studied by in vitro digestion using the Englyst method: coarse (1,101.6 μm), regular (630.7 μm), fine (301.7 μm), very fine (144 μm), and superfine (26.8 μm). An increase in the particle size of dry-milled navy bean flours was associated with a reduced in vitro carbohydrate digestion rate that was partially retained after baking and could be explained by the higher resistant starch and insoluble nonstarch polysaccharide contents and lower available carbohydrate content compared with flours with smaller particle sizes. The results of this study provide information that can be used in the development of functional foods for blood glucose control using navy bean flours.The consumption of navy beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is associated with reduced cardiometabolic risk factors such as improved blood glucose control. Navy bean flours retain the nutritional benefits of navy beans, which are high in protein and fiber and low in fat and sugar. However, the particle size of navy bean flours can vary depending on the milling technology used. The purpose of this study was to investigate the carbohydrate digestion rate of navy bean flours with various particle sizes. Five samples each of raw and baked flours with the following volume-weighted mean particle sizes were studied by in vitro digestion using the Englyst method: coarse (1,101.6 μm), regular (630.7 μm), fine (301.7 μm), very fine (144 μm), and superfine (26.8 μm). An increase in the particle size of dry-milled navy bean flours was associated with a reduced in vitro carbohydrate digestion rate that was partially retained after baking and could be explained by the higher resistant starch and insoluble nonstarch polysaccharide contents and lower available carbohydrate content compared with flours with smaller particle sizes. The results of this study provide information that can be used in the development of functional foods for blood glucose control using navy bean flours. |