Lentils in muffins, chilies and soups and blood sugar
What it found
In healthy adults, swapping some wheat, rice or potato for lentils in muffins, chilies and soups lowered the blood sugar and insulin rise after eating.
The size of the effect depended on the food and the lentil type.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar after muffins
The red lentil muffin lowered the blood sugar rise over 2 hours compared with the wheat muffin. The green lentil muffin did not lower it significantly, though it did lower blood sugar at 15 and 30 minutes.
Blood sugar after chilies and soups
Both green and red lentil chilies and soups lowered the blood sugar rise over 2 hours and the peak blood sugar compared with the rice chili and potato soup.
Relative glycemic response
The relative glycemic response was 88% for green lentil muffins, 58% for green lentil chilies and 61% for green lentil soups. For red lentils it was 84%, 48% and 49%.
Insulin response
Green lentil muffins lowered the insulin rise over 2 hours compared with wheat muffins. Both lentil chilies and soups lowered the insulin rise and peak insulin compared with their controls. Red lentil muffins did not significantly lower the insulin rise.
Blood sugar over time
Blood sugar rose after all meals, usually peaking at 30 minutes and returning to baseline by 120 minutes. For lentil soups, blood sugar was higher at 90 and 120 minutes than for potato soup.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, we found that the partial or full replacement of high-GI, carbohydrate-rich foods with lentils can reduce postprandial blood glucose iAUC and C MAX as well as plasma insulin in healthy adults.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that replacing high-glycemic carbohydrate-rich foods with lentils can lower the blood sugar rise, peak blood sugar and insulin response in healthy adults.
- They say the result may depend on the type of lentil and the amount substituted, but lentils appear helpful in reducing the blood sugar response after eating.
- They support creating more foods that are convenient and enjoyable while reducing disease risk.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see whether lentils still lower the blood sugar rise after a meal when they are used as an ingredient in everyday foods like muffins, chilies and soups, rather than eaten on their own.
Healthy adults aged 18 to 40 took part in three randomized crossover studies. They ate muffins (24 people), chilies (24 people) or soups (20 people) made with green lentils, red lentils or a high-glycemic control (wheat, rice or potato), with 25 g of available carbohydrates from each. Blood was collected over 2 hours after eating.
What it can’t tell you
- The study included only healthy adults aged 18 to 40, so the results may not apply to other groups such as older adults or people with diabetes.
- The study did not examine how lentils lower blood sugar, so the reasons behind the effect are not known from this work.
- The participants knew which foods they were eating, which could influence the results, though the authors note this has not been shown for whole foods.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Guelph, Canada; Guelph Research and Development Centre, Canada
The paper
- Title
- Postprandial Blood Glucose and Insulin Response in Healthy Adults When Lentils Replace High-Glycemic Index Food Ingredients in Muffins, Chilies and Soups
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Chamoun D, Duncan AM, Lukus PK, et al (2024). Postprandial Blood Glucose and Insulin Response in Healthy Adults When Lentils Replace High-Glycemic Index Food Ingredients in Muffins, Chilies and Soups. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu16162669Free full textPubMed 39203806DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error