You will surely remember the story of Jack and the magic beans, where these legumes seemed to have properties that amazed little Jack and brought many benefits to his family.
As if it were a fable, lupins are once again showing the world their enormous list of benefits (and not only for health).

In today’s article we will talk about the benefits of white lupin protein around nutritional quality, satiety, healthy weight, blood pressure control, cholesterol, microbiome and blood sugar control.

Shedding light on lupin

In 2016, the 68th General Assembly of the United Nations declared the International Year of Pulses.
In doing so, they had set out to raise public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed at achieving food security and nutrition.
And since lupin is a legume, we will focus on it.

According to the United Nations (https://www.un.org/es/observances/world-pulses-day) website, pulses are the edible seeds of legumes harvested to be consumed.
Dried beans, lentils, and peas are the most commonly known and consumed types of legumes.
They are present in different cuisines around the world, from hummus in the Mediterranean (chickpeas), to a traditional English breakfast (white beans) or Indian dal (peas or lentils).

According to this body, legumes do not include crops that are harvested green, such as green peas or green beans, since these are classified as vegetables.
Crops used primarily for oil extraction, such as soybeans or groundnuts, and leguminous crops that are used exclusively for planting purposes (clover and alfalfa seeds) are also excluded.

According to different studies conducted by the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it is suggested that replacing some meat-based meals with legumes on a weekly basis can have a positive impact on longevity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and weight management, potentially through favorable effects on the gut microbiome.

Lupins are unique among legumes with one of the highest combined amounts of digestible plant protein (38%) and dietary fiber (30%).
In addition, they can lower blood pressure, improve blood lipids and insulin sensitivity, and favorably alter the gut microbiome. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/ielapa.908100617189705

The use of this plant extends to the production of protein concentrates that, when added to other food products, can enrich their nutritional values, thus providing functional foods, as we will see later.
The protein-rich fraction could be used as a substance to enrich different types of products, such as cakes, breads, chips, and milk substitutes, and also be a main component of food when animal proteins are removed. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.06.036

Where do the benefits come from?

Lupine seeds contain many bioactive components.
The protein, which can correspond to 35-40% of the dry weight, is mainly composed of albumins and globulins in a proportion of approximately 1/9.
The most abundant families are known as α-conglutin (legumes), β-conglutin (vicilines), γ-conglutin, and δ-conglutin.
Lupine seed is also an excellent source of fiber, containing up to 39% fiber, made up of 75-80% soluble fiber, 18-25% insoluble fiber, and 5-9% hemicellulose.

The digestible carbohydrate content is lower than in most legumes and comprises mainly oligosaccharides, while starch is absent or scarce.
The fat content is variable, ranging from 8% to 12% depending on the species, with a good presence of α-linolenic acid (about 8% to 10% of the oil).
The unsaponifiable fraction of lupin oil is composed of sterols (mainly β-sitosterol) and triterpene alcohols.
Lupine seeds also contain 6 to 13 mg/100 g of tocopherols, mainly γ-tocopherol; 50–230 μg/100 g carotenoid seed, mainly zeaxanthin accompanied by lutein, β-carotene and α-carotene. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2015.08.012

Some studies that support the benefits

In type 2 diabetes:

One study evaluated the antidiabetic effect of a combination treatment, a protein fraction (Cγ) plus a quinolizidine alkaloid (lupanin), both present in lupins.
Different doses of Cγ plus lupanin were evaluated on glucose response curves to identify the best dose of the combination for further analysis.
Rats with induced type 2 diabetes were then treated with the dose combination and biochemical parameters as well as liver gene expression profile were evaluated, and we compared these results with data obtained from untreated rats with induced type 2 diabetes and from healthy animals.

The combination of two natural lupin compounds, Cγ + lupanin, provides a promising beneficial effect for a future therapeutic application in the prevention or treatment of type 2 diabetes.
The dose combination with the greatest antidiabetic effect was 28 mg/kg body weight of Cγ plus 20 mg/kg body weight of lupanin.
Interestingly, these findings revealed that this combination significantly improved hyperglycemia and lipid profile.
The profile of gene expression levels shows that the genes Pdk4, G6pc, Foxo1, Foxo3, Ppargc1a, Serpine1, Myc, Slc37a4, Irs2 and Igfbp1 were restored, in different magnitudes, so their expression tended to levels observed under healthy conditions.
The main biological processes associated with these genes are oxidative stress, regulation of apoptosis, and homeostasis of glucose and fatty acids. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16010117

Reduced appetite:

There is clinical evidence that foods containing lupin or lupine-derived compounds can reduce appetite after eating, which can lead to a decrease in food intake and consequently may influence the maintenance of a healthy body weight.
In a study conducted on 88 healthy adult volunteers for 16 weeks, it was observed that a breakfast with the same energy as wheat bread containing 40% lupin flour gave higher levels of self-reported satiety and lower energy intake at lunch than compared to bread made with wheat flour alone. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228788489_Potential_for_benefit_of_lupin_on_obesity_and_cardiovascular_disease_risk_in_humans

In atherosclerosis and hypertension:

In a study in mouse models, which compared white lupin proteins given to mice with atherosclerosis to the casein-fed control group, white lupin proteins reduced the occurrence of atherosclerotic lesions. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602077

Another study, but from 2001, showed that the intake of 66 g/day of protein and 15 g/day of fiber had a significant additive effect on reducing blood pressure (approximately 10 mmHg) https://doi.org/10.1161/hy1001.092614
In 2009, a study aimed to determine the effects on blood pressure of bread made with lupin flour (equivalent to 14 g/day of protein and 13 g/day of fiber) compared to bread made with wheat flour in overweight and obese men and women.
When analyzing the results obtained, it was found that the bread group made with lupin flour showed a reduction in blood pressure of approximately 3.5 mmHg compared to those who were not in the control group. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.08.015

Bowel function:

Lupine seed fiber contains approximately 40% oligosaccharides, specifically α-galactosides.
These have the potential to increase the population of Bifidobacterium in the colon, which in turn supports a healthy gut.
Bifidobacteria prevent the growth of pathogenic microbes and the overgrowth of harmful microflora by producing acid, which lowers fecal pH.

A study conducted with 38 healthy men provided improved bowel function, reduced transit time, beneficially lowered stool pH, and provided higher levels of butyrate (a substrate for healthy colon cell development) without altering self-reported perceptions about the gut.
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-006-0603-1

Salengei’s BIO Lupine Protein

The use of plant-based proteins has gained momentum recently due to their multiple edible and inedible applications and their biodegradable nature.
On the other hand, and in view of the current global climate scenario, the use of plant proteins will be essential when animal proteins fail to meet the needs of the world’s population.

The physicochemical and structural properties, amino acid composition and functional attributes of plant-based proteins are of great interest to the food industry.
Lupine flour can be used in the production of different food products, either to increase nutritional value and/or modify texture.

Salengei’s BIO lupin protein has a high fiber content of 28 grams per 100 grams of product, which represents 7.4 grams per Kcal.
If, for example, a dosage of this flour is taken, it will provide 7.8g of fibre (31% of the daily needs according to the EFSA recommendation).
90% of this fibre is insoluble, which is the most suitable for intestinal transit.
The remaining 10% is soluble fiber.
In addition, this product contains a considerable contribution of fermentable oligosaccharides (fibre-like), consisting of stachyose, raffinose and verbascose: 7.6g/100g and 1.9/25g of product.
All of the above enhances the laxative effect of the fiber.

Additional Ecological Benefits

In addition to the high protein content, lupin has a strong ability to fix nitrogen and release organic phosphorus from the soil and can be used in crop rotation during intensive cereal production.

Legume crops, such as chickpeas and white lupine, can mobilize phosphorus from the soil and be a good fertilizer by exuding anions from organic acids, such as citrate and malate, and other compounds from their roots.
Hocking and Randall reported improved growth and nutrition with phosphorus from less efficient crops after planting legumes that exude organic anions.
Crop rotations can increase total soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations over time, which can further improve soil productivity. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoil.2022.821589

Conclusion

The white lupin has been used in the nutrition of the human race for thousands of years.
Today its use is limited by its small scale of production.
However, in recent years, properties have been discovered that could have beneficial effects on human nutrition and health, as well as on soil care.

With a rapidly growing global population, food and nutrition security remains the next challenge for the food industry.
This population increase, coupled with factors such as socio-demographic changes, will eventually put enormous pressure on global resources to provide nutritious food products.

Atramuz is a valuable plant from an economic and agricultural point of view as it can grow in different soils and climates.
Interest in its production is increasing, due to its potential as a source of protein, for pharmaceutical purposes, green manure and, due to the high alkaloid content, as a natural component of plant pesticides.

Interest in lupin seeds is continually growing, spurred by their flexibility in food preparation, as well as the growing awareness of the health benefits they provide.

Salengei’s BIO lupin protein takes advantage of all the benefits mentioned above and houses them in a product of excellent quality and also with bio characteristics.