New Research Suggests Ditching Wheat Flour for Chickpea Flour—But Should You? (2024)

• According to new research published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids, chickpea flour can help lower your diabetes risk or help control existing diabetes, since it may improve blood glucose regulation (as opposed to wheat flour).
• However, using chickpea flour may not be the best choice if you’re adding it to a pre-cycling meal, since athletes should consume carbohydrate-rich foods in order to fill up their tank of glycogen stores and help with recovery before and after a workout.

When you’re looking to bake heart-healthy, performance-boosting treats, there are shelves upon shelves of flour options at the grocery store. So, which do you choose?

A new study published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids suggests replacing wheat flour with products derived from chickpeas, because could lower your diabetes risk or help control existing diabetes by improving your blood glucose regulation. So, is it time to fully ditch wheat flour?

In the research, about 40 participants ate bread rolls made with either chickpea flour or wheat flour, then had their glucose tested. Those in the chickpea group had a glycemic response that was 40-percent lower compared to those who ate a wheat-based roll.

Researchers noted that because chickpea flour maintains the structure of its dietary fiber, creating a form of resistant starch, it takes longer to digest compared to wheat flour. This is similar to other types of “alternative flours” made from non-wheat sources, such as cassava, black beans, peas, and lentils.

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Although that means switching to chickpea flour can bring significant advantages to those with diabetes or prediabetes, it may not be the best choice if you’re adding it to a pre-cycling meal, suggested Kara ho*rr, R.D.N., a dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition.

“Prior to workouts and immediately afterward, athletes should be consuming carbohydrate-rich foods in order to fill up their tank of glycogen stores and help with recovery,” she told Bicycling. “Eating chickpea flour toast, for example, before a workout would not benefit the athlete as much as wheat-based toast because the body isn’t getting the immediate fuel it needs.”

Another consideration is how much of these alternative flours you may be consuming in general, added dietitian Tamara Duker Freuman, R.D., especially in the form of other gluten-free products.

For example, she told Bicycling, you might have a cup of cooked chickpeas as part of a meal or snack, but if you’re using a product with chickpea flour—such as a gluten-free pasta—that could involve up to three cups of chickpeas instead. Inclusion of other nut- or bean-based foods at the same time could lead to some less-than-pleasant side effects.

“That’s simply a lot of fiber to have in one sitting,” said Freuman. “With these alternative flours, it’s easy to go overboard, and that can lead to an upset stomach, significant bloating, and gas.”

More activity, like cycling, can help power through those side effects faster, but that wouldn’t be a very comfortable ride, particularly if a digestive issue leads to need-a-bathroom-now emergency.

That doesn’t mean an alternative flour like chickpea should be skipped, but a better approach, ho*rr suggested, would be to save that option for non-workout days.