Active Diabetes, Hormones & Metabolism Digestion, Kidneys & Other Organs

Pulse consumption mechanisms underpinning the modulation of the gut microbiome and host metabolism.

Funder Wellcome Charity-funded
Recipient organisation University of East Anglia
Funding Not disclosed
Period Oct 2025 — Sept 2028

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Eating chickpeas changes the mix of bacteria living in the human gut, but scientists do not yet understand exactly how that happens or why it improves metabolic health. This matters because pulses like chickpeas are known to lower blood sugar spikes and boost hormones that control appetite and insulin release. Yet the amount needed for these benefits far exceeds what most people in the UK typically eat. The underlying mechanisms—particularly how the gut microbiome adapts and then signals back to the body—remain poorly understood. Without that knowledge, it is impossible to design targeted dietary interventions that work reliably. The project will track chickpea digestion and fermentation using laboratory models that simulate the human gut, then confirm findings in mice fed chickpea-enriched diets and in human faecal samples from a pulse-based dietary study. If successful, this work will reveal the specific microbial and metabolic pathways that link pulse consumption to better blood sugar control and satiety. That could eventually support evidence-based dietary guidelines for metabolic health and help build sustainable food systems that rely less on animal protein. The research is fundamental science—it aims to explain a biological process, not to produce an immediate product or treatment.

View original technical description
Pulses (such as chickpeas) are starch-rich legumes high in fibre and protein, and their intake is recommended for sustainable, healthy diets. Pulses are associated with cardiometabolic health, elicit low glycaemic responses and support the release of glucoregulatory and satiety-promoting gut hormones. However, the dose of pulse intake associated with metabolic improvements is much higher than the typical UK intake. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms, especially those involving interactions between gut microbiome and host physiological responses, are still poorly understood and inadequately characterised. This project aims to investigate how the gut microbiome adapts to chickpea consumption. The digestion and fermentation of chickpeas will be investigated using in vitro digestion methods (INFOGEST) and colon fermentation models. Additionally, to assess long-term gut microbiome and host responses, blood and tissue samples from a study involving mice on a chickpea- enriched diet will be employed, alongside human faecal samples after a pulse- enriched dietary intervention, to examine longitudinal intra- and inter- individual gut microbiome adaptation. Together, these approaches will elucidate pulse consumption related host–microbiome mechanisms, which may support future dietary interventions for metabolic health and sustainable food systems.

View the original record at the funder ↗

Researchers

Vanessa Yiselle Yepiz Gonzalez (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

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Original classification

PhD Studentship (Basic)

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.