Chickpeas Health Benefits 101

The health benefits of Chickpeas are not widely known. Surprisingly, adding these small, scrumptious legumes to the menu is a fantastic way to improve your diet for good health. Legumes are a simple, dry fruit contained within a shed or a pod. Examples of legumes include beans, lentils, and peanuts. They are versatile to cook with and have amazing health benefits.

Chickpeas are known all over the world by many other names such as garbanzo beans, Bengal grams, Egyptian peas, ceci, cece, and Kabuli chana, reflecting their wide cultural usage.

The low cancer rate in India may be due in part to the spices they use, but it may also stem from the types of foods they are putting those spices on… What most of the population does eat every day are dark-green, leafy vegetables and legumes, 20 such as beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils, which are packed with another class of cancer-fighting compounds called phytates. How Not To Die: Micheal Greger M.D.

Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas are extremely popular in North African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian cuisine and have a wide range of uses. Chickpeas are also one of the earliest legumes that humans have ever cultivated, and have a long and ancient history of health benefits. Archaeologists have uncovered chickpeas remains over seven thousand years old in the Levantine region of the Middle East.

Nutrients In Chickpeas

Chickpeas health benefits begin with the fact that they are packed full of essential vitamins and minerals and low in calories; 100 grams of chickpeas contain 364 calories.

Protein

They are high in protein, with 19 grams of protein per 100-gram serving. This makes them an excellent food choice for vegetarians and vegans.

People who don’t eat meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy products need to eat a variety of protein-containing foods each day in order to get all the amino acids needed to make new protein. Source

Potassium

Potassium in your diet can lower your blood pressure, so it’s important to get enough of this nutrient in our diets. A serving of the same size will give you 25 percent of your RDI of potassium.

Vitamin B6

A 100-gram serving also has 25 percent of your Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin B6,

Calcium

Ditch the milk and eat some chickpeas a serving has 10 percent of your RDI of calcium. The calcium contained within chickpeas helps to strengthen your bones and help with nerve, heart, and muscle function.

A 100-gram serving also has 6 grams of fat. 2.7 grams of polyunsaturated fat and 1.4 grams monounsaturated fat.

Low Sodium

Important for people watching their high blood pressure, Chickpeas are naturally low in sodium. A 100-gram serving has only 24 milligrams of sodium.

Iron

You also gain 34 percent of your RDI of iron from just a 100 gram serving of chickpeas, making them an excellent choice for vegans, vegetarians and anyone who wants to start eating healthy.

High Fiber

Chickpeas contain a lot of fiber with about 17 grams per 100-gram serving. Fiber is essential for maintaining a healthy colon, preventing constipation, and aiding in overall digestion.

Magnesium

Chickpeas contain a whopping 28 percent of your RDI of magnesium.The magnesium found in chickpeas assists your body in some crucial ways. Magnesium helps to keep your heart rhythm steady, maintains your immune system, strengthens your bones and regulates your blood sugar levels. It also helps your body to maintain healthy muscle and nerve function. Magnesium also helps many people with insomnia. It helps you to fall asleep at night by controlling your cortisol levels, the stress hormone, and relaxing your muscles.

Manganese

A serving of one cup of chickpeas has 1.7 milligrams of manganese, which is about 94 percent of the female RDI and 74 percent of the male RDA, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Manganese provides your body with energy by fueling your metabolism aids bone development and accelerates the healing of wounds.

Manganese also has antioxidant properties, helps the body monitor the activity of free radicals, potentially reducing your risk of cancers and other diseases.

Folate

Folate, also known as vitamin B9, helps with the proper growth and formation of new cells. It aids the communication between brain cells and is essential for pregnant women; it protects fetuses against certain genetic mutations.

Consuming a cup-sized serving of chickpeas will give you 282 micrograms of folate. That’s 71 percent of your daily folate requirements, according to the NYU Langone Medical Center.

Why Chickpeas Are Good For Us

High Energy Food

Chickpeas can give you an energy boost, due to their high amount of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is required by your body to perform for over 100 enzymatic reactions that are involved in metabolism.

Cooking And Eating Chickpeas

There are thousands of ways to cook, prepare, and enjoy chickpeas. Look to the many cultures that have enjoyed chickpeas for millennia for recipe inspiration.

You can put them to salads, use them in curries like the Indian favorite chana masala. Indeed, you can ground them into gram flour, blend and shape them into falafel. Furthermore, you can mix them with olive oil and garlic to make delicious hummus. Click here for more recipes.

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