RESEARCHERS in the US have discovered a simple and delicious way for pregnant women to head off gestational diabetes - chilli beans.
Beans are well known for their ability to keep blood sugar levels stable, thanks to their high fibre and protein.
The researchers set out to investigate the role of bean consumption - including chilli beans, dried beans and bean soup - in gestational diabetes.
They analysed data from almost 1,400 pregnant women who reported their weekly intake of each dish, along with their gestational diabetes status in the third trimester.
"Interestingly, only chilli consumption was statistically significantly associated with the risk of gestational diabetes," said paediatrician Dr Xiaozhong Wen, first author of the study.
Women who ate chilli beans once a month had a 3.5% chance of developing gestational diabetes, whereas those who never ate them had a risk of 7.4% .
Eating them more than once a month didn't add to the benefit.
The team suggested that the capsaicin in chilli could be behind the effect, and pointed out that the dark beans used in chilli tend to have higher levels of phenoic compounds than other beans.
Studies have found that both capsaicin and phenolic compounds help manage blood sugar by slowing glucose absorption and boosting insulin sensitivity, according to Dr Wen.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 28 Aug 25
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