Looking for Affordable Plant-Based Protein? The Chickpea Is Your Answer

Cheap, nourishing, and filling – the chickpea is all about value.

It is a relatively common pulse crop consumed around the world, and it is the third most popular pulse crop produced globally. Some other pulse crops include dry peas, lentils, and beans (1, 23).

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) are used in India as an alternative to flour (besan), they are roasted and spiced in Africa for snacks, and are regularly topped on salads in Asia.

Yet despite how prevalent the chickpea is in developing countries, it is still vastly under-consumed in the western world. The majority of North American households do not even possess a can. In fact, the US Department of Agriculture found that only 14% of Americans consume dried beans of any variety on a daily basis (2). 

For merely $2 a can, chickpeas provide multiple servings of invaluable health benefits. This is real value – quality and quantity.

Here are the 7 most worthwhile benefits of chickpeas! 

 

Nutrient Dense

For plant-based diets, chickpeas are a must. They possess a hearty supply of natural carbohydrates and an abundance of protein. Moreover, they are cholesterol free and a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals (3).

Chickpeas are compact with:

• Polyunsaturated fatty acids
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin C
• Folate
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Iron

They additionally provide nourishing bioactive compounds such as sterols, phytoestrogens, carotenoids, and isoflavones (4, 14). 

Chickpeas are arguably the most nutrient-dense legume on the planet.

 

Starch-Resistant

Chickpeas provide commendable starch-resistance properties. 

Resistant starch, in essence, is a starch that cannot be broken down by the body. Good bacteria feed off of it, and consequently produce short-chain fatty acids. Some benefits of starch-resistant foods are:

• Gut Strength
• Fat loss
• Protection against colon cancer
• Heart disease prevention
• Diabetes suppression (15) 

The starch content of chickpeas amasses 41-50% of its total carbohydrates, to which 35% is resistance based. As a result, chickpeas have superior digestive value over all other pulse crops (1).

 

Dietary Fiber

Chickpeas can assist with weight loss since they are high in fiber and protein. Additionally, their composition of anti-nutrients such as tannins, phytic acid, and saponins assist with weight control (14).

They provide long-term energy as they have a low glycemic index, rendering a slow carbohydrate release that increases the duration of ‘feeling full’ (5).

The plant-based insoluble fibers of chickpeas help regulate the ‘frequency of defecation’ (for lack of a better term), which is vastly important for gastrointestinal health.

General benefits of fiber include:

• Blood sugar regulation
• Weight control
• Heart protection
• Diabetes prevention
• Digestive health
• Longevity (21, 22)

 

Muscle-Building Properties

The protein content of chickpeas is surely noteworthy if you are looking to enhance your physique.

Chickpeas range anywhere from 12.6-30% in protein concentration, which is 2-3 times greater than that of cereal grains (wheat, millet, eats, rye, etc). On average, a 100 gram serving of chickpeas provides 20 grams of protein (8, 9).

Chickpeas are especially recommended for vegans or vegetarians who are trying to reach adequate protein levels (11).

Symptoms of a protein deficiency includes:

• Fatigue
• Weakened immune system
• Organ failure
• Swelling (odema)
• Muscle shrinking
• Poor skin
• Cognitive deficit (12)

Chickpeas also retain a heap of amino acids. Why is this important to muscle growth? Well, they are the building blocks of protein – protein needs amino acids to effectively activate muscle growth. Amino acids support:

• Food digestion
• Muscle growth synthesis
• Muscle tissue recovery
• Overall bodily functions (10)

 

Blood-Sugar Regulation

Due to their low glycemic index, chickpeas are proficient blood-sugar regulators.

Most of the blood-sugar regulating properties of chickpeas stem from the starch-resistant polysaccharide ‘amylose’.

Since amylose resists digestion in the small intestine, glucose cannot be broken down and its bioavailability inevitably decreases (16).

As a result, glucose has a much more difficult time entering the bloodstream. This reduces the demand for insulin and serves significant value for type-2 diabetes. Increased consumption of chickpeas is linked to improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (1).

In an in-vivo study against white bread, postprandial glucose responses of humus consumers (chickpea based) were four times lower in a sample of 10 healthy individuals (6).

When consumed long-term, chickpeas were shown to significantly improve insulin resistance against hyperglycaemic and hyperinsulinemic reactions. For this reason, chickpeas are strongly correlated with a decreased risk of type-2 diabetes (7).

 

Cardiovascular Health

Chickpeas reduce remarkable levels of cholesterol in the body. Contrarily, excessive cholesterol impairs cardiovascular wellbeing and may lead to disease.

Through the inhibition of LDL-C oxidation (bad cholesterol), chickpeas protect the aorta – the main artery of the body that supplies oxygenated blood to the heart (1).

The polyunsaturated fats present in chickpeas display beneficial effects on serum lipids, insulin sensitivity, and haemostatic factors. As a result, this may prevent the detrimental symptoms of coronary heart disease (1, 24).

Saponins, although toxic, exert positive cholesterol reducing effects through inhibiting intestinal absorption. Moreover, saponins increase the excretion of bile acids which indirectly reduces cholesterol (20).

Unfortunately, most of the experimentation to document the cardiovascular benefits of chickpeas has been demonstrated through experimental animals.

 

Anti-Cancer

Chickpeas contain butyrate, a short chain fatty acid, which is reported to suppress cell proliferation of colorectal cancers (13).

The fiber content of chickpeas additionally exhibits anti-cancer properties. 31 out of 32 epidemiological studies since 1980 show an inverse relation to diets high in fiber and colon cancer (19).

Notably, diets with low levels of carotenoids demonstrate a positive correlation of obtaining cancer. Lycopene, the dominant carotenoid in chickpeas, thereby helps in the prevention of this (18).

Among other bioactive compounds present in chickpeas, biochanin A and saponins have been shown to reduce the risk of cancerous lesions for their anti-inflammatory attributes (4).

Saponins in particular inhibit pre-neoplastic lesions in the colons of rats, and are recognized to have strong anti-carcinogenic value. They should only be consumed in moderation however, as they are an anti-nutrient (1, 17).

Conclusion

When we are talking about chickpeas, we are talking about value. 

As a reputable bean in the plant-based world, the chickpea is recognized for a bounty of health benefits including:

• Weight loss
• Anti-diabetic
• Anti-cancer
• Muscle-building
• Cardiovascular health

2$ per can… How can you neglect that? Not to mention its cornucopia of protein that delivers long-term energy and satiation. A bean so cheap, nourishing, and sustainable is almost too good to be true.