Chickpeas originally come from North Africa. Chickpeas are widely eaten in the Mediterranean because it is a popular legume. Chickpeas are available in dried form and pre-cooked in cans. In dried form they have a longer shelf life and contain more nutrients. Chickpeas have a great taste, children also love them. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• Falafel and hummus
• Chickpea cooking time
• Chickpea nutritional value
• Fibers from the chickpea
• Polyphenols in chickpeas
• Good for the heart and blood vessels
• Good against diabetes
• Chickpeas against obesity
• Phytoestrogens in chickpeas

Falafel and hummus

Chickpeas form the basis for falafel. These are fried balls of chickpea dough. It is a delicious and super healthy food that falls into the legume category. Falafel is a very suitable meat substitute during the vegetarian diet. Chickpeas are also used as the basis for humus. Humus also contains a little tahini, or sesame seed paste.

Chickpea cooking time

You soak chickpeas for about 6 to 8 hours. The cooking time of chickpeas is 20 minutes. If you don’t pre-soak them, you can also cook them for 25-30 minutes. Then they are ready enough to eat. Do not take an hour or an hour and a half as some cookbooks say. Then they are no longer as tasty and nutritious. You can then puree them to make humus or falafel dough. Chickpeas take almost as long to cook as brown rice. You can therefore choose to cook chickpeas together with rice. Use only half a handful of chickpeas for this. First put the chickpeas in the pan and cook them alone for 5 minutes. Then the brown rice can be added. If all goes well, they will be cooked at the same time.In the US, chickpeas are not only called chicken peas but also garbanzo beans. Indian dish with chickpeas / Source: Kspoddar, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-2.0)

Chickpea nutritional value

Chickpeas contain minerals. 100 Grams of chickpeas is enough for the Recommended Daily Allowance of molybdenum. Furthermore, the chickpea contains a lot of manganese, copper, phosphorus and iron. This round legume also contains the amino acid tryptophan. Chickpeas also contain a lot of fiber and protein.

Fibers from the chickpea

Chickpeas, like many legumes, are known for their high fiber content. This is excellent for the digestive tract and helps prevent cancerous tumors. Eating chickpeas works well against colon cancer in this way. The risk of developing colon cancer is significantly lower if you regularly eat chickpeas and other legumes.Beige and green chickpeas / Source: Sanjay Acharya, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Polyphenols in chickpeas

Chickpea is well represented in the field of polyphenols. It contains various phenolic acids such as: ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and vanilic acid. It also contains the anthocyanidins delphinidin, cyanidin and petunidin. These are all antioxidants. They counteract oxidation processes in the body. These oxidation processes, if they occur in excess, can lead to accelerated aging and the formation of cancer.

Good for the heart and blood vessels

The unique combination of polyphenols with antioxidant properties described above are very useful for a properly functioning circulatory system and therefore for the heart. Regularly eating the polyphenols from chickpeas and other legumes ensures that veins are not coated with an oxidation layer. If this layer becomes too thick, clots can release, causing a heart attack. Smoking, eating too much (red) meat, and drinking a lot of alcohol are all factors that promote oxidation.

Good against diabetes

Chickpeas are very good for keeping blood sugar levels stable. Because it contains a lot of fiber, digestion will proceed very gradually and at a natural pace, resulting in fewer high peaks and deep valleys in blood sugar levels. Scientific research shows that this positive effect is partly caused by the joint polyphenols in chickpeas increasing the effectiveness of insulin. That is an important advantage for everyone, but especially for type 2 diabetes patients.The chickpea plant / Source: BotBln, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Chickpeas against obesity

Chickpeas do not have very many calories. They quickly give you the feeling of being full. As a result, you no longer feel like eating. The tendency to snack becomes smaller. In this way, chickpeas work well against obesity. Actually, much more research should be done in this direction, so that people know that they can lose weight or maintain their weight by eating the right foods, instead of diet hopping.

Phytoestrogens in chickpeas

Chickpeas contain phytoestrogens. These are bioidentical hormones that have a slightly weaker effect than the body’s own estrogens. Women after menopause produce less estrogen, so taking phytoestrogens can help prevent brittle bones, osteoporosis, breast cancer and hot flashes. This hormone found in the chickpea provides a natural remedy for menopausal symptoms.

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