Sprouted chickpea flour in pasta and artery function in people
What it found
Eating pasta made with 40% sprouted chickpea flour widened the arm artery more than regular semolina pasta a few hours later.
This was seen in 22 healthy young adults.
What they found
Studies in people
Artery widening after eating
The arm artery opened wider after the sprouted chickpea pasta meal compared to the regular pasta meal. The widening was 10.3% versus 7.9%.
Blood pressure and heart rate
Blood pressure and heart rate were about the same after both pasta meals. Neither the top nor bottom blood pressure numbers changed between visits.
Animal and lab studies
Antioxidant levels in flour
In lab tests, the flour mix containing sprouted chickpea had higher antioxidant capacity than plain semolina flour. The values were 2.031 versus 1.736 mmol trolox per 100 g sample.
What the authors conclude
- They say that replacing 40% of semolina flour with sprouted chickpea flour improved artery function after eating in healthy adults.
- They suggest this simple swap could be a useful dietary change for supporting cardiovascular health.
- They call for longer studies to see if these short-term benefits last over time.
How it was done
Foods rich in antioxidants are thought to help the inner lining of arteries work better. The authors wanted to see if swapping some regular pasta flour for sprouted chickpea flour would change how well arteries open up after a meal.
Twenty-two healthy adults, mostly women around 26 years old, ate two different pasta meals on separate days. One meal used regular semolina flour and the other replaced 40% of it with sprouted chickpea flour. Researchers measured how much the arm artery widened about 2 to 3 hours after each meal.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only looked at effects a few hours after one meal.
- It cannot show whether eating sprouted chickpea pasta regularly leads to lasting changes in heart or artery health.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Montclair State University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Incorporating sprouted chickpea flour in pasta increases brachial artery flow-mediated dilation
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Bruno JA, Feldman CH, Konas DW, Kerrihard AL, Matthews EL (2019). Incorporating sprouted chickpea flour in pasta increases brachial artery flow-mediated dilation. Physiology international. doi:10.1556/2060.106.2019.21Free full textPubMed 31564118DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error