Fava bean and buckwheat are sustainable food sources which support satiety and beneficially modulate several biomarkers, bacteria and metabolites associated with human health.

backgroundThe world's population requires adequate food supply, satisfying specific nutrient requirements to meet dietary recommendations, promote nutrition security and sustain health, while stimulating agriculture biodiversity. This study assessed the potential of buckwheat and fava bean to diversify the source of dietary nutrients.

methodsTwenty healthy volunteers (n = 6 men, n = 14 women; 42.08 ± 12.12 years; body mass index 24.72 ± 4.69 kg/m

resultsBoth intervention diets were as satiating as the volunteers' habitual diets (p = 0.234). The fava bean diet significantly reduced fasted plasma glucose and insulin and increased plasma homocysteine (p < 0.05). Buckwheat diet decreased plasma homocysteine (p < 0.01) and increased plasma, urine and faecal concentrations of salicylic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid. Both diets significantly increased plasma non-esterified fatty acids values, reduced plasma urea and faecal deoxycholic acid concentrations (p < 0.05). The fava bean diet provided significantly higher amounts of dietary fibre (both in comparison with habitual and buckwheat diet) significantly increasing the urine indole-3-propionic acid concentration (p < 0.01) (Day 0 vs. Day 7) and the faecal, plasma and urine indole-3-propionic acid concentrations (p < 0.01) (on Day 7 buckwheat vs. Day 7 fava bean diet). Furthermore, the fava bean diet promoted the growth of the gut bacterium Coprococcus eutactus (p < 0.05).

conclusionBuckwheat and fava bean contribute in a sustainable way to meet dietary recommendations and to promote dietary diversification. Diets rich in buckwheat and fava bean were found to be satiating and to beneficially modulate several biomarkers, bacteria and metabolites which are correlated with prevention of metabolic disorders such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.