Location: Potato, Pulse and Small Grains Quality Research
Project Number: 3060-21650-002-078-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2026
End Date: Dec 31, 2027
Objective:
Our overarching objectives are as follows:
Aim 1. Evaluate the effect of 12-weeks of chickpea and lentil consumption on oro-gut microbiomes and gut health in older adults.
Aim 2. Determine the effect of chickpea and lentil consumption on cognitive performance and circulating markers associated with brain health.
Aim 3. Evaluate the impact of chickpea and lentil consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors and identify mechanistic links across systems.
Approach:
Our overarching goals are to determine how chickpea and lentil intake modulates the oro-gut microbiomes and gut health in older adults. We also aim to evaluate the impact of pulse intake on cognitive health and assess the effects on cardiometabolic risk and systemic inflammation. Moreover, we aim to identify mechanistic links between microbiome and clinical outcomes in aging, unveiling integrated insight into how pulses influence the gut-brain-vascular axis in older adults (population where pulses could benefit greatly). Using a 12-week intervention, we will adopt multi-omics and integrative approach to examine the effects of chickpeas and lentils on gut-brain-metabolic axis. The proposal builds upon recent PCHI studies evincing that dietary pulses enhance gut microbiome and improve gut barrier and inflammation in preclinical models. The findings were further supported by recent studies in young adults, where chickpea and lentil intake improved gut transit time and reduced systolic blood pressure, providing translational evidence of pulse-driven physiological benefits. Driven by these converging data, we aim to extend this work into older adults, a population vulnerable to gut dysbiosis and cardiometabolic and cognitive dysfunction. In addition to biological outcomes, we will assess the feasibility of incorporating pulses into the diets of older adults, a group that otherwise under-consumes fiber-rich foods despite increased nutritional needs.