The present paper aims to study why and how health organizations recommend the consumption of pulses such as beans, chickpeas or lentils. Although it is recognized that frequent pulse consumption may reduce serum cholesterol levels and helps reduce risks of coronary heart disease and diabetes, these advantages are scarcely mentioned by health-promoting associations, i.e. vegetarians and organiz...

The concept of functional foods in health promotion and disease management has been developed during the past two decades. Beyond the basic nutritional functions, functional foods have several potential biological properties and have hence been given much attention. Leguminous seeds (peas, beans, lentils, peanuts), rich sources of bioactive proteins and peptides, functional fiber, indigestible ...

Shahin, M.A. and Symons, S.J. 2003. Lentil type identification using machine vision. Canadian Biosystems Engineering/Le génie des biosystèmes au Canada 45: 3.5-3.11. A machine vision system (TrueGrade) was used to identify the type (variety) of Canadian lentils from bulk samples. The samples were presented to the instrument in a clear transparent sample tray, and the sample was imaged using a l...

To compare the effect on blood glucose concentrations of guar incorporated into crispbreads with that of unprocessed high-fibre foods groups of four to six diabetics took a total of seven test breakfasts on separate days. By comparison with a breakfast of wholemeal bread and cheese, guar crispbread combined with bread reduced the area under the glucose response curve to 51% (p < 0.05); bread an...

Legumes belong to the family Leguminosae and consist of oilseeds such as soybeans, peanuts, alfafa, clover, mesquite, and pulses, including the dry grains of peas, chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans, and lupins. Production and use of legumes date back to ancient cultures in Asia, the Middle East, South America, and North Africa. They are cultivated throughout the world for their seeds, harvested a...

This study is the first attempt to establish an SNP database for the purpose of estimating the genetic diversity and relatedness of Palestinian lentil genotypes. A total of 14 lentil accessions (11 local, two supplied by ICARDA, and one introduced from Italy) were investigated. By sequencing two genes, lectin and lipid transfer protein 5 (LTP5), four SNPs were detected (three in the first and o...