Eating chickpeas has multiple benefits for our health, as long as they are consumed in a healthy way and with clear dietary objectives: it will not be the same portion that we will eat if we want to lose weight, as if we seek to maintain a more varied and healthy diet.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is advisable to consume chickpeas or other legumes two to four times a week. Among its main nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, iron and fiber. It is also recommended for all types of diets and for all restrictions: they can be consumed by children, adults and the elderly, vegetarians, vegans, celiacs and others. Their slow absorption carbohydrate content makes them an excellent option to achieve satiety and energy quickly, in a balanced way.
Benefits of consuming chickpeas
1. They provide proteins
This is possibly one of the best-known benefits of chickpeas. Its high content of plant-based proteins makes it ideal for vegetarians, who want to ensure they have the necessary nutrients for their body, from a non-animal source.
However, chickpeas are not “complete” as they contain some essential amino acids, but not all that are needed. This means it shouldn’t be the only protein source you choose. Even so, they are still an optimal alternative for growth and development.
2. They provide vitamin E
As indicated by FEN experts, chickpeas are a source of vitamin E that “acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells against damage caused by free radicals.”
And remember that vitamin E not only helps you have beautiful skin, but it strengthens the immune system and collaborates with cells to carry out various functions.
3. They regulate intestinal transit
Digestion could be considered the starting point for the body’s health, since by doing it correctly, we can assimilate the nutrients we need. For this reason, making sure it is working correctly can be the key to overall well-being.
Thanks to their fiber content, chickpeas benefit you in the following way:
- They reduce abdominal inflammation.
- They allow you to maintain your regular bowel movements.
- They reduce abdominal distension and constipation.
- They help your body absorb all the nutrients from food.
- According to research, dietary fiber helps prevent gastrointestinal diseases by stimulating motility.
4. They facilitate weight loss
Again, due to their fiber content, chickpeas are foods that support weight loss. According to research, chickpeas are beneficial for glycemic control and help in controlling body weight by suppressing appetite and energy intake.
Being rich in fiber, they help satisfy your appetite and avoid snacking between meals, which prevents you from losing those extra kilos.
They also promote good intestinal transit, which translates into reducing inflammation in the abdominal area, which is one of the points that is most interesting to reduce in the early stages.
On the other hand, the mix of nutrients and minerals keeps your body energized and active.
5. They help to have healthy bones and muscles
Minerals identified in chickpeas include:
- iron
- match
- magnesium
- copper
- zinc
This means that chickpeas are great allies for your skeleton and muscular system. Many of these minerals are essential when it comes to improving your bone density and preventing age-related diseases such as osteoporosis.
6. They protect heart health
Cardiovascular health is benefited by the nutrients in chickpeas in two different ways. On the one hand, the only fats that chickpeas have are omega 3 fatty acids. As you already know, they are beneficial polyunsaturated fats that the body needs to protect the heart and help reduce any inflammation that may occur.
Likewise, several of the different minerals that chickpeas contain, mentioned in the previous point, favor the cardiovascular system in general.
Different studies have supported the ability of legumes to improve lipid profile, glycemic control and blood pressure, which are the main risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases.
7. They collaborate in the health care of babies
Folic acid is an important B vitamin. It is most often associated with women’s health, due to the potential benefits it may have on women, especially during pregnancy.
Furthermore, low levels of folic acid are closely related to neural tube defects and other complications in the birth of babies. Because of this, if you are pregnant, adding chickpeas to your diet ensures a good source of folic acid that will allow you to have a very healthy baby.
8. They provide calcium
Yes, chickpeas are a good source of calcium, a mineral with many important functions in the body, closely related to bone health. This is essential to consider for women of pre- or postmenopausal age, with a view to preventing osteoporosis. An adult should consume 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day. And a glass of milk provides almost a third of this.
9. Diabetes and obesity
According to some research, the WHO recommends the consumption of chickpeas and other legumes to reduce the risks of diet-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. In this regard, it is noted that diabetics who consume high-fiber diets show lower blood glucose levels.
10. Fatigue and sports
Due to their contribution of carbohydrates and proteins, chickpeas are highly recommended in diets for those who perform great physical effort. In particular, they are usually included in the diet of athletes.
In this regard, in a study, where various bars were tested to complement the diet of athletes, it was observed that adding roasted chickpea flour increases both the content and diversity of proteins, providing a significant percentage of the recommended daily amount.
11. Benefits for the environment
Last but not least, chickpeas, as well as other legumes, are good for the environment, in the sense that their cultivation helps fix nitrogen in the soil and also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gases. greenhouse effect. And this in some way also affects our health.
How to incorporate chickpeas
The various presentations of chickpeas make this food very easy to incorporate. Below we tell you the best ways to consume it.
Chickpea grains: You can get them canned or buy the dried grain and boil it at home. To cook chickpeas, you must first soak them. This process consists of placing the legume in water for approximately 12 hours. After rinsing them, we will put them in a container and cover them plenty of water, as they increase their volume considerably. It is recommended to use warm water.
Chickpea flour: It is a kind of powder that is made with this grain, which is used for multiple preparations such as falafel, fainá or as a batter.
