Nutritional Benefits of Chickpea

Chickpea  is a legume of the family Fabaceae. It is also called as the garbanzo beans. In India it is called as the Bengal gram or chana. It is mostly cultivated in the  mediterranean, west Asia, Indian subcontinent, and Australia. It is one  of the earliest cultivated legumes of more than 7500 years ago, in the  Middle East. The  chickpea is a type of pulse with a seedpod containing 2 to 3 peas. The plant grows to between 20-25 cm high and has small feathery leaves on  the sides of the stem. Chickpeas need a tropical or subtropical climate  of more than 400 milliliters of annual rainfall.

 Photo credit: www.amazon.com

There are 2 types of  chickpea
1. Desi  variety: Small and darker seeds with a rough coat. It has higher fiber  content. It is mostly

cultivated in Indian subcontinent, Ethiopia, Iran,  and Mexico. The Desi variety in India, it is known

as the Bengal gram.

2. Kabuli  variety: Lighter colored, larger sized, and a smoother coat. It is low  in fiber content. It is

mainly grown in Southern Europe, Northern  Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Chile.

Photo credit: www.henriettesherbal.com

Mature  chickpea can be cooked in stews, salads, or ground into flour called as  gram flour, which instead is used to make a lot of delicious recipes.  Chickpea can be used to make curries and form a important ingredient in  vegetarian diet which it provides with a good amount of protein.  Chickpea flour is used to make various cuisines and also as a batter to  coat when frying vegetables, meats etc.

Photo credit: www.rashmisrecipes.com

Nutritional Benefits

1. Garbanzo beans are useful sources of zinc, folate, protein, and fiber.

2. It is low in fat, which is mostly present as polyunsaturated fats. It helps to lower cholesterol in the blood stream.
3. It helps to regulate the blood sugar by stabilizing the breakdown of food through the intestine and also stabilizes the blood flow through the digestive tract.

3. Certain varieties of chickpea has high fiber content. It can help support the digestive tract function.

Bacteria in the colon breaks down the insoluble fiber in the garbanzos to short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) including acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. These SCFAs are absorbed by the cells that line the colon wall and can be used by for energy. It is also helpful in preventing constipation. Lowers the risk for colon problems and decreases the chances of intestinal cancer.

4. Garbanzo beans contains antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene etc.
5. It also contains concentrated supplies of phytonutrients such as flavonoids quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin found in the outer layer of the beans, and the phenolic acids ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and vanillic acid found in the interior portion of the beans.

6. Chickpeas also provide high dietary phosphorus, manganese, and iron.

7. It provides increased chances of food satiety or satisfaction with food and eliminates the sense of hunger and thus reduce weight gain.