Chickpeas Health Benefits, Nutrition and Seed Facts

Health Benefits of Eating Chickpeas

• Chickpeas are found to contain high antioxidants. Research done by University of Karachi showed that 4 types of chickpeas native to Pakistan are particularly abundant with antioxidants: Winhar 2000, Dasht, CM98 and Balksar 2000.
   
• Same as other legumes, garbanzo beans are packed with dietary fiber. Fiber is useful in binding bile acids and removing them from the body. This helps reduce the LDL cholesterol.
   
• Rich in fiber also makes chickpeas a great natural remedy to treat constipation and promote healthy weight loss.
   
• Garbanzo beans are an excellent and vital source of protein, especially for vegetarians. When consumed together with whole grains, they provide the same level of protein from meat source and dairy products, but without generating much calories and fats.
   
• Studies have found that chickpeas are low-glycemic index (GI) food, with reading between 28 and 32. Low-GI food is beneficial to those with diabetes. In fact, this legume is said to effectively regulate blood sugar.
   
• Garbanzo beans are a good source of manganese, an essential mineral that helps the body in energy production.
   
• Loaded with iron, the legume can boost your energy. Iron is an important nutrient in your body as it helps supply oxygen from the lungs to all the muscles and organs in the body.
   
• Chickpeas are good for heart health as they contain significant levels of magnesium and folate. Folate aids to reduce the levels of homocysteine and amino acids. It also helps strengthen the blood vessels.
   
• Garbanzo beans are found to have phytochemicals known as saponins. The compound helps protect against breast cancer, prevent osteoporosis, and get rid of hot flushes among post-menopausal females. 

Facts about Chickpeas

Chickpeas (scientific name Cicer arietinum) are often known as garbanzo beans. The legume is round with beige or light green in color and can be found largely in the Mediterranean, India and west of Asia. The garbanzo beans are cooked, mashed and combined with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt to make a popular dish called hummus in the Middle East.

The legume has also been added whole in salads, ground to make gram flour and falafel. It is also a popular ingredient for making of Burmese tofu.

Chickpeas are also used widely in Italian food; to make pasta. They are frequently used to make three-bean salad, which consists of chickpeas, kidney beans and green beans and pickled with vinegar. 

Varieties of Chickpeas

• Desi Type -- Darker in color and smaller. Generally tastier, but not easy to find in the U.S.
• Kabuli Type -- Lighter in color and contain a softer coat. Easily available in the U.S. 

Chickpeas Nutrition Facts and Calories
 

Chickpeas Recipe
 

Crispy Chickpeas, Broccoli Rabe and Fresh Ricotta Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of broccoli rabe, washed and trimmed

• 1 garlic clove, sliced

• 1 15 oz. (425 g) can chickpeas, drained

• 2 1/2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese

• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

• salt

• red pepper flakes

Preparation:

1. Heat the broiler.

2. On a baking sheet, mix broccoli rabe, garlic and chickpeas with the olive oil. Add salt to taste.

3. Broil the mixture for 2 1/2 minutes, subsequently flip the broccoli rabe to broil until the stems are tender and the leaves are crisp. Make sure you space our the broccoli rabe.

4. Topped with the ricotta and sprinkled with red pepper flakes. Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil and serve.

Chickpeas Side Effects

Related Seeds Articles:

Health Benefits of Seeds