On Wed, 17 Nov 1999, Anna L. Abrante wrote:

> The above is an ad for a starch blocking product....it admits, clear as day,
> that the amylase inhibitor is an insect
> defense protein and that is in the common bean (this has been talked about
> here many, many times). This inhibitor prevents the absorption of carbs, in
> other words,
> it interferes with the digestion of the food ( we all know how beans affect
> us and why ).  I am pointing out what is
> obvious to *us* because we are told  (on this list ) that these "insect
> defense proteins" are POISONS...these pills concentrate these poisons
> deliberately to prevent absorption of carbs and thus cause weight loss.

So far, so good.  The amylase inhibitor is a poison to an insect
who would depend upon the starch for survival.  It is not a
poison to us, because we don't.

> Is there supposed to be an amount of this stuff that is safe to consume?

Why not?  We avoid ingesting too many carbs because we don't like
their effects in high concentrations.  So why would it be unsafe
to consume a substance that helps us to do what many of us are
trying to do anyway?  The amylase inhibitor is an anti-nutrient,
but a potentially useful one.

Which beans is this enzyme found in?  I wonder how much of it
remains after cooking.  This might explain the fact that beans
tend to have low glycemic index, but the more they are cooked,
the higher it goes.

> I, for one, am amazed that "the other side" has the same information we have,
> and yet they literally use it towards
> their own ends, and claim it's a good thing. How can there be such directly
> opposite views of the same information??

If this, the presence of amylase inhibitor, were the only reason
not to eat beans, I'd say it was no good reason at all.  It would
be a good reason to eat them, in fact, because it would mean that
their protein:carb ratio is more favorable than it seems.  What
is more serious is the fact that the beans also contain protease
inhibitors, which interfere with protein digestion, and lots of
lectins, some of which may have unwanted effects on the immune
system.  To the extent that this "trimplex" isolates the amylase
inhibitor from the other things, I'd say it is a good thing for
people who are unwilling to limit their consumption of carbs.

Todd Moody
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