Pulses are an integral part of the cuisine of India and Assam, which is an important component of a healthy meal plan. Chickpeas are one of the most nutritious legumes. Chickpea is an excellent replacement for meat in many vegetarian and vegan dishes. It pairs well with many other foods and ingredients because of its nutty taste and grainy texture. Chickpea is a rich source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, it helps in many health benefits such as improving digestion, aiding weight management and reducing your risk of disease. This article describes the health benefits of chickpeas.
What is Chickpeas/Cicer arietinum?
Chickpeas are a leguminous annual plant in the Fabaceae family cultivated for their edible seeds. Chickpea is an important food in India, Africa, and Central and South America. The chickpea plant grows mainly in West Asia, India, and parts of the Mediterranean. Chickpeas are a good source of iron, phosphorus, and folic acid and are also high in fiber and protein. It is an excellent source of plant-based protein that can help control diabetes and lose weight. The benefits of chickpeas may include improving digestion, boosting heart health, and helping to maintain optimal blood pressure levels. They can even improve the health of bones, skin, and hair.
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Plant description
The chickpea plant is a 60-cm (2-foot) shrub with feathered pinnately compound leaves. The small white or red flowers often have special blue or purple veins and are usually self-pollinated. The seed coat is rhomboid or elliptical and contains 1-4 cream, brown, green, or black seeds. The yellow-brown or dark green beans are carried one or two to a pod.
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Nutritional value per 100 g of Chickpeas/Cicer arietinum
| Energy | 686 KJ (164 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 27.42 g |
| Sugar | 4.8 g |
| Dietary fiber | 7.6 g |
| Fat | 2.59 g |
| Saturated | 0.27 g |
| Monounsaturated | 0.58 g |
| Polyunsaturated | 1.16 g |
| Protein | 8.86 g |
Nutritional value of Vitamins in Chickpeas
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV+ |
| Vitamin A Equiv. | 0%1 μg |
| Thiamine (B1) | 10%0.12 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 5%0.06 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 4%0.53 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 6%O.29 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 11%0.14 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 43%172 μg |
| Vitamin B12 | 0%0 μg |
| Vitamin C | 2%1.3 mg |
| Vitamin E | 2%0.35 mg |
| Vitamin K | 4%4 μg |
Nutritional value of minerals in Chickpeas
| Minerals | Quantity % DV+ |
| Calcium | 5%49 mg |
| Iron | 22%2.89 mg |
| Magnesium | 14%48 mg |
| Manganese | 49%1.03 mg |
| Potassium | 6%291 mg |
| Sodium | 0%7 mg |
| Zinc | 16%1.53 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 60.21 g |
Different Linguistics Name of Chickpeas
- English: Chickpea, Bengal Gram
- Hindi: Chana
- Tamil: Kothu Kadalai
- Malayalam: Kadala
- Telugu: Sanagalu/Sanaga
- Kanada: Kadale/Chana
- Bengali: Chola
- Gujarati: Chana
- Marathi: Harbara
- Udiya: Buta/Bata
- Punjabi: Chole/Chana
- Kashmiri: Chanu
- Assamese: But Mah
- American: Garbanzo beans
Scientific Classification of Chickpeas /Garbanzo Bean
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Clade: Eudicots
- Clade: Rosids
- Order: Fabales
- Family: Fabaceae
- Genus: Cicer
- Species: C. arietinum
- Scientific name: Cicer arietinum
Health Benefits and Uses of Chickpeas/Garbanzo Bean
1. Lower cholesterol
Including ¾ cup of chickpeas in your daily diet can easily and profoundly help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Garbanzo beans contains dyslipidemia which stops the power of cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
2. Promotes weight loss
Chickpea contains both protein and fiber, which may help you feel full while curbing cravings for food and unhealthy snacks. Research suggests that fiber intake is associated with weight loss.
3. Skin protection
Chickpea is common in many hot and sunny weather conditions, which is good news for those who eat them. This is because they act like natural sunblock, with high levels of nutrients called manganese. Just one cup of cooked chickpeas contains 85% of your daily value of minerals, which act as antioxidants in skin cells. It also protects against damage from UV light, which reduces scarring.
4. Digestive Health
Fiber helps keep your digestive system working. This is the part of the plant that is not soluble. Therefore, the doctor recommended that 40% of your diet come from fiber-rich foods, which definitely include chickpeas or cicer arietinum.
5. Regulates blood sugar
Unfortunately, most people struggle with type 2 diabetes. If you are one of the millions of people around the world who need to control their blood sugar, include legumes like chickpeas in your diet. Doctors recommend legumes and vegetables containing protein for their phytochemicals and fiber. Chickpeas are digested slowly without lowering blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C levels.
6. Boosts your energy and immunity
Chickpea is a wonderful source of the trace mineral manganese, as well as other health essential nutrients like thiamine, magnesium and phosphorus. Manganese acts as an important cofactor that plays an important role in energy production and also boosts your overall immune system.
7. Build Muscle
Amino acids provide the building blocks of muscle that allow contraction and when your muscle contracts it grows. 1 cup of chickpeas contains ⅓ of your allowable protein value. Therefore, combine them with a protein found in nuts, veggies, fish or meat sources to restore your protein and get stronger.
8. Nervous system
The protein present in chickpeas also helps in the health of the nervous system. Protein amino acids influence neurotransmitters in the brain and help them function properly.
9. Antioxidant effects
Chickpeas are an important source of selenium, a mineral that supports liver enzymes and detoxifies the body of cancer-causing compounds. Chickpea is a source of folate, which helps prevent cancer in the body’s cells.
10. Heart disease
Frequent consumption of chickpeas clears bad cholesterol, reduces cholesterol levels and also triglyceride levels. The initial combination of antioxidants in chickpeas supports blood vessel walls as well as the blood does. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and omega-3 fatty acids together prevent coronary heart disease and cardiovascular risk.
11. Great for your eyes
Chickpeas are rich in vitamins, which is an important ingredient for maintaining the health of your mucous membranes, your eyesight and skin. So if you want clearer and more improved vision, you can eat some chickpeas in a day. You are able to boil them or even add them to your choice of cheese or minced curry. Also, You can add them to your rice pulao. You will definitely see better results.
12. Good for Jaundice
Chickpea is also ideal for treating jaundice. Eating a cup of chickpeas, soaked in water with jaggery can cure jaundice and help with frequent vomiting associated with it.
13. Beneficial in Cancer
Chickpea also reduces the risk of cancer. Soluble fiber actually reaches the colon and breaks down the bacteria into fatty acids. This is absorbed by the cells of the colon and converted into energy. Therefore, it keeps the cells of the colon healthy and reduces the risk of cancer.
14. Regulates hormonal levels in women
Chickpeas are a good source of nutrients, especially phyto-estrogens as well as saponins. These legumes reduce your risk of breast cancer and protect against osteoporosis by maintaining blood levels of estrogen. Chickpea helps reduce mood swings throughout the menstrual cycle and reduce postmenopausal symptoms in women.
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Uses of Chickpeas
Chickpeas can be boiled, fried, cooked in curries, porridge etc. The salad can be served with chickpeas. Chickpea is used in a variety of food dishes.
Side effects of Chickpeas
Although most of the benefits of chickpeas can have some surprising side effects.
- Issues with high fiber intake
Chickpea is high in fiber. Sudden increases in fiber intake can lead to stomach, gas, diarrhea and bloating disorders. This can cause abdominal pain, although those usually subside within a few hours.
- Legume allergy
Chickpeas are related to soybeans, and therefore your skin allergies may worsen. If you have a known legume allergy, stop using and talk to your doctor. Some of the symptoms of legume allergies include nausea, diarrhea, itchy skin, honey cycle, headache and cough.
- Kidney ailments
Chickpeas can contain moderate amounts of purines, which the body can break down into uric acid and can cause various health conditions including kidney stones, gallstones and gout. If you suffer from any of these conditions, avoid taking them as chickpeas can act as a trigger for these diseases.
- Digestion problem
The high fiber and protein content of beans can cause digestive problems for some. The best solution in this case is to slowly start incorporating it into your diet.
- Paralysis
A study in the Handbook of Medicinal Herbs states that inadequately cooked chickpeas can lead to paralysis like lathyrism.
Note:
Therefore, chickpeas should be used in the right amount considering the benefits and harms as excessive use of any product can harm our health. The above is information provided for general information purposes only. It is recommended to consult a doctor before using chickpeas for medicinal purposes.
Conclusion:
This article must have given you a general introduction to the benefits of chickpeas. They learned about the benefits, ingredients, different linguistic names, harms and other properties of chickpeas. I hope the information mentioned in this article will help you in different ways in different problems.
FAQ:
1. What are the common names of chickpeas?
Ans: The common names of chickpeas are — garbanzo bean or Bengal gram.
2. What are the benefits of chickpeas?
Ans: Benefits of chickpeas may include improving digestion, boosting heart health and helping to maintain optimal blood pressure levels. In addition, they can improve the health of bones, skin and hair.
3. What is a chickpea called in America?
Ans: Chickpea is called Garbanzo Beans in America.
4. Chickpea belongs to which family of plants?
Ans: Chickpea is a plant in the Fabaceae family.
5. What is the scientific name of a chickpea?
Ans: The scientific name of the chickpea is Cicer arietinum.