11 Shocking Statistics about Chickpeas Benefits and Side Effects for Your Best Gut Health
Chickpeas benefits and side effects are one of those things your doctor is not going to tell you but you need to know! Not only can they help you slim your waistline and feel full longer, chickpeas health benefits can reduce your risk for serious chronic disease!
Why are chickpeas so good for you? They are full of gut healthy vitamins and are an excellent source of plant-based protein and fiber! Keep reading to get all the details on why you need to include chickpeas in your diet!
This post is a complete guide to chickpeas benefits and side effects!
healthy micro superstars behind chickpeas benefits and side effects
Why Are Chickpeas So Good For You?
Chickpeas are a savory bean and the primary ingredient in hummus and falafel. If you’re wandering the bean aisle and can’t find them, try looking for garbanzo beans, their altar ego. Chickpeas are named after the latin word, cicer, while in Spain they are called garbanzo beans. Two names, one bean.
What are the Benefits of Chickpeas?
There are so many chickpeas benefits and side effects – positive side effects!! They are an amazing source of fiber and protein (Bulsiewicz, 2020; Monk et al., 2016). Chickpeas also have a ton of vitamins and healthy micro superheros including fiber, protein, magnesium, potassium, and folate. Keep reading below to learn all the benefits of chickpeas!
A Dynamic Duo of Fiber and Protein for your Gut
Are Chickpeas Fattening? Nope!
I mean, who doesn’t want to look good AND feel good? Let’s take a look at the some of the research on chickpeas. Doctors examining the effects of eating chickpeas across 21 clinical randomized trials have found chickpeas, on average, reduce people’s weight (Kim et al., 2016). How much? In one study, they found a 25% reduction in weight loss for those people eating chickpeas as compared to those who were not. Remember, this is a randomized trial with controls for other things that might contribute to this result. Meaning, the result is predominately -as much as we can say scientifically- due to chickpeas.
- Chickpeas help you lose weight
Why are chickpeas so good for you? So many reasons! Let’s start with the fact that they contain a ton of fiber, protein, and also other micro superheroes that enter into your gut and strengthen its ability to fight off bad bacteria. This, in turn, strengthens your immune system.
2. Chickpeas strengthen your immune system
Ultimately, a stronger you is a healthier you. Your, new and improved, stronger body functions more efficiently which means storing less fat and leaning out your waist line.
Boiled Chickpeas Nutrition Per 100g
Chickpeas are full of protein. Similar to black beans and lentils, one cup of chickpeas has about 14.5 grams of protein (Elliott, 2021). That’s a bit under half the amount of protein in one cup of cooked chicken (USDA, 2022). However, unlike cooked chicken, chickpeas are also full of fiber. Together, fiber and protein are a dynamic duo for your gut health and your overall health including weight loss and preventing chronic disease (think cancer and heart disease).
3. Chickpeas are a healthy plant-based protein
You can boil chickpeas SUPER EASILY in the Instant Pot. Just add 2 1/2 cups of chickpeas to the pot, 6 cups water or stock, and press beans! You’ll have perfectly cooked chickpeas in 45 minutes without lifting more than a finger!
Chickpeas Recipes
Ready to cook chickpeas in the Instant Pot?
Check out this chickpeas recipe or, just search chickpeas on Kait’s Cupboard!
Chickpeas Health Benefits
Have you ever wondered why you still are hungry after eating a drive-through value meal? I know I have. We need fiber and protein to feel full. Values meals are generally grossly lacking in fiber. Chickpeas have both, and a whole lot more.
Each chickpea has a good deal of fiber and protein within it. Fiber and protein work together to make us feel satisfied and full after eating.
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In several studies, chickpeas have been found to reduce people’s appetites and increase their feelings of fullness (Zafar & Kabir, 2017; Reister & Leidy, 2020).
Chickpeas Keep You Happily Full After Eating
Doctors conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the effects of snacking on hummus and pretzels versus two other groups. The other groups tested were:
1) people eating a granola bar snack
2) people having no snack
Then, they compared the results across groups. Doctors found those individuals who ate hummus were significantly less likely to eat dessert later that evening.
4. Chickpeas help you feel full longer
Additionally, those people eating hummus were significantly more likely to feel full and have more stable blood sugar levels. And guess what? Stable blood sugar levels are important to prevent type II diabetes.
Chickpeas Health Benefits Diabetes
The fiber and protein in chickpeas may stabilize your blood sugar. When you eat chickpeas, your blood sugar does not rise significantly.
5. Chickpeas keep your blood sugar stable
Reduce Risk for Type II Diabetes
If you were watching your blood sugar after eating hummus vs. after eating a cinnamon roll for example, it might look something like the graph below.
Doctors present the effects of soybeans vs. glucose on people’s blood sugar.
The purple line is the spike in your blood sugar when you consume plain glucose. You might have had to drink glucose if you’ve ever been tested for diabetes, or been pregnant and had to take the sugar test for gestational diabetes in your third trimester. The orange line is your blood sugar when you consume a soybean nutritional bar.
Notice that the orange line is relatively stable with a lower spike than the purple line? That’s your body breathing a sigh of relief that it doesn’t have to go into overdrive to figure out how to process the extra sugar.
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Interested in learning more? Check out the article here or read on for more information on how chickpeas help our blood sugar stay stable (and keep the hangry’s away).
Chickpeas Benefits for Female | Stay Full Longer!
Overall, chickpeas have a low glycemic index keeping blood sugar relatively stable. They also have a good deal of fiber which has been found to steady blood sugar. In fact, doctors did a study comparing the blood sugar levels of women given white bread or chickpeas (Zafar & Kabir, 2017). The bread and chickpeas were provided in the same portion equivalents. They watched their blood sugar levels in real time and found that those women eating chickpeas had a significant reduction in blood sugar levels and also a reduction in appetite as compared to the white bread group (Zafar & Kabir, 2017).
6. Chickpeas could help you prevent diabetes
Finally, chickpeas are a great source of vitamins including B vitamins and magnesium. Both of these nutrients have been associated with a reduced risk of diabetes.
7. Chickpeas are cheap #inflationbuster
Chickpeas are a Cupboard Staple Ingredient
I always have chickpeas in my cupboard. You can buy a pack of canned chickpeas at Costco and have them on hand for weeknight meals. Dried chickpeas are great to keep in your cupboard for soups. You can buy them in bulk at Whole Foods. Dried chickpeas like most beans are an inflation buster, low cost and last for a long time. For more inflation buster’s, search my recipe index or type “inflation buster” into the search bar.
Chickpeas Benefits for Male | Beat Heart Disease!
We all know the risks of heart disease. About half of all Americans have AT LEAST ONE of the top three risks for heart disease (Center for Disease Control, 2022). This statistic is more startling if you’re a man. For men, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S (Center for Disease Control, 2022).
8. Chickpeas can help you prevent heart disease
There is a good amount of evidence that chickpeas can reduce your risk of heart disease. First, remember reading all about the fiber inside chickpeas? That fiber has been shown to reduce bad cholesterol and therefore the risk of heart disease (Milagros-Farridy, 2020; Wallace et al., 2016; Ha et al., 2014; Pittaway et al., 2008). Second, they have a large amount of magnesium and potassium, both of which has been shown to regulate your blood pressure. Lower blood pressure equals less risk for heart disease.
9. Chickpeas can help reduce your blood pressure
Seared chickpeas add an amazing source of fiber (Bulsiewicz, 2020; Monk et al., 2016). They have been found to help balance your microbiota and enhance the barrier that regulates your nutrient absorption preventing pathogenic bacteria from invading (Rios-Arce et al., 2017). In plain English, chickpeas help your body keep the bad stuff out and better balance the good stuff.
10. Chickpeas can help build up your gut lining and keep you healthy
Reduce Risk for Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
Did you know, there are micro superhero bacteria in chickpeas that combat the potential for disease each time you eat them? Chickpeas increase your body’s butyrate, which decreases inflammation in your colon. Usually, we are looking to decrease inflammation. In this case, reduced inflammation means less likelihood of colon cancer (Wallace et al., 2016)!
11. Chickpeas can reduce your risk for cancer
Additionally, they have many vitamins that reduce risk of cancer including vitamin B. Doctors have found vitamin B to reduce the risk of lung cancer (Peterson, 2020; Brasky et al., 2020). Another point for chickpeas!
Are Canned Chickpeas Healthy? Yes!
Increase the healthy bacteria in your gut! The fiber in chickpeas has been found to increase the healthy bacteria in your gut (Wallace et al., 2016). This is important because our guts have healthy bacteria that support not only our immune system but really, our entire body. Without healthy bacteria, we would not be well. As an added side benefit, the fiber in chickpeas can also ease our digestion (Wallace et al., 2016). Instead of feeling backed up, or dumping fiber in your drink, try a natural way to consume fiber on your dinner plate with chickpeas.
Have I Convinced You To Eat Chickpeas Yet?
If you’re not sure where to begin with chickpeas or how to add them to your meals, you can search chickpeas on Kait’s Cupboard. Or, you can check out Mediterranean Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, my corn hummus recipe, or Greek chicken tacos with savory homemade lemon garlic hummus.
If you love Kait’s Cupboard, share it with your friends and follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
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