Lupins lining the roadsides are common sights for anyone who has visited Atlantic Canada or Maine during the summertime, but have you ever heard of eating lupine seeds? Even better, have you ever heard about how good lupin flour can be for the heart?
A study out of the University of Western Australia describes how it is possible to lower your risk of heart disease “significantly” by replacing conventional wholemeal flour with a blend that contains 40% lupin beans. A yearlong study of over 100 overweight men and women showed that increasing one’s intake of “lupin flour lowered blood pressure and reduced the risk of heart disease.”
Cooking with lupin flour – it is easily incorporated into the baking of bread, pasta, and cookies – is an Australian phenomenon (80% of the world’s commercial lupin crop is grown in Western Australia). A quick Google search did not yield any information about US sources, though there is some concern that the consumption of lupin flour has been linked to anaphylaxis (particularly in those with a peanut allergy).
According to this post’s source, ScienceAlert, “The study suggested that lupin flour might also be good for those suffering from Type 2 or adult onset diabetes, because even in non-diabetic individuals sensitivity to insulin improved during the trial.”