Premise
Altramuz chocho blanco in Spanish, Wolfsbohne in German, white lupine in English and white lupine in Italian: it is a leguminous botanical known as Lupinus albus L., belonging to the Leguminosa Papilionaceae family, and native to Eastern countries.
Lupins are highly energetic legumes, entered in the Mediterranean diet at three hundred and sixty degrees. Currently, however, rather than eating them as a meal, lupins are usually enjoyed as a snack, becoming a symbol of popular festivals.
Cultivation and dissemination
The lupine plant has been cultivated since ancient times in the Mediterranean and Middle East areas, thanks to the marked adaptability to acid and dry soils, and to difficult and unfavorable climates. But that's not all: since ancient times, the plant's marked ability to benefit the soil has been observed, even improving its fertility. [taken from www.agraria.org/]
At one time, the production of lupins was rather copious, given the consistent market demand: with time, the demand for lupins collapsed, especially following the displacement of the poorest areas of the population, areas where the lupine - considered its scarce commercial value - it had gained a leading role in nutrition.
Currently, the cultivation of lupins is particularly widespread in the southern areas.
Botanical analysis
As we have seen, Lupinus albus belongs to the same family of beans, broad beans and lentils, only some of the very many species of Leguminous Papilionaceae. The plant has a slightly branched stem that generally does not exceed 70 centimeters in height, but can sometimes touch the meter and a half. The leaves, alternate and webbed-composed (each of which consists of 5-9 leaflets arranged along the peduncle), show a delicate down on the lower page, while the upper one is glabrous; particular is the movement of the leaves based on the movement of the sun in the sky.
The lupine plant has large showy and whitish flowers, sometimes spotted with blue.
The legumes, long and erect, contain crushed, lenticular and white-yellowish seeds, to be consumed preferably after cooking.
As mentioned above, lupins thrive easily on acid soils, a peculiarity that distinguishes the plant from other legumes, lovers instead of mostly calcareous soils.
Nutritional analysis
Being legumes, lupins are also among the energy vegetables, ensuring 114 kcal per 100 grams of product, with 69% of water, 16.5% of protein, 7% of carbohydrates and the remaining 6.5% divided between fibers and fats.
Lupins act as a mine of mineral salts, in particular iron and potassium, as well as having a modest amount of vitamin B1.
Chemical composition
Among the various components of lupine, alkaloids certainly play an important role: they are lupotoxin, lupanine and oscilupanine, found in fresh and raw lupine seeds. In addition to the alkaloid component, lupins are characterized by variable percentages of organic acids, resins, lupeol, galactose, arginine, vanillin and lecithin. [taken from //erboristeriaemedicina.org/]
Lupins and alkaloids
In order to make lupins edible, a brine is needed, useful for "extracting" the bitter and toxic alkaloids.
Food uses
As we have seen, lupins are consumed mainly as a snack rather than as a meal. However, lupins are also used for the production of flour, but in this case consumption is mainly intended for feeding livestock.
In the past, the seeds of the lupine plant were used as a coffee substitute: the flavor of the "lupine coffee" is very bitter, therefore to soften the aroma it is advisable to mix the powder with barley or wheat.
On the market, lupins are found mostly cooked and preserved in vacuum, therefore practical, ready for consumption and rich in all the nutrients present in them.
Dried lupins, which require a soaking time before cooking, are less sold.
Phytotherapeutic uses
In ancient times, the consumption of lupins was considered a good natural remedy to combat eczema and scabies: currently, the phytotherapeutic properties of lupins are exploited mostly for diuretic, emmenagogue and aperitif, as well as being a possible natural febrifuge (in the form of decoction of lupins). Lupine flour is sometimes used as a vermifuge and anthelmintic. [taken from www.erboristeriaemedicina.org/]
Lupins can also be consumed by celiacs because they do not form gluten.
Future expectations
Lupine is also enhanced for its nutraceutical and medicinal properties.
Unlike other legumes, lupine contains traces of lecithin, trypsin, isoflavone and cyanogen compounds inhibitors. Because of the co-presence of these substances, the lupine soon became the object of study and interest in the medical-scientific field: probably, lupine conceals extraordinary properties in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension in particular. Clearly, studies have so far been conducted only on animal guinea-pigs (rodents), but the results appear unexpected and at the same time extraordinary: after a diet based on lupins, total cholesterol and LDL in the rodent suffered a net reduction.
Another hypothesis being investigated is that lupins are a valid aid against hyperglycemia (a potentially hypoglycemic property): it seems that lupine can somehow be considered a surrogate for insulin, useful in mild diabetes mellitus and medium severity.
All the theories just described clearly require scientific confirmation, both experimental and clinical; however, experts are optimistic about this, as well as hopeful that the lupine may soon become a new therapeutic strategy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Lupins in brief, summary about lupins »
