Chickpeas

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are one type of legume. The variety of chickpeas that is most common is round shaped and has a beige color. However, there are other varieties of chickpeas whose color varies from black to green or even red. Chickpeas are loaded with nutrients that offer us several health benefits.

Similar to other legumes like lentils, chickpeas are loaded with protein and dietary fiber. In addition, they also enclose many vital vitamins and minerals. In fact, chickpeas are among the earliest legumes cultivated by humans. Precisely speaking, cultivation of chickpeas started about 7,500 years back and they were found in the Middle East. Chickpeas were also found in pottery belonging to the Neolithic Age in some regions of Turkey.

It is interesting to note that in ancient times people associated chickpeas with Venus as they believed that this legume offered a number of medical benefits such as enhancing sperm count and milk production, stimulating menstruation and also helping in treating kidney stones. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians were fond of chickpeas. Many explorers carried with them chickpeas from the countries of their origin and spread them to different parts of the globe. This is how the humble chickpeas traveled across the oceans.

Although it may seem to be incredible in present times, way back in 1793, people in Europe roasted and grounded chickpeas and used them as a coffee substitute. Much later, during the World War I, people in some parts of Germany cultivated chickpeas only for this purpose. Even today, people in some regions of the world continue to brew chickpeas as a substitute for coffee.

Health benefits

Chickpeas offer several health benefits. They are especially beneficial for those who are trying to shed extra flab. Consuming chickpeas is a wonderful way to lose weight without having to compromise on the nutrition front. Moreover, this legume is a wonderful source of strength and you can use them irrespective of any diet you may be following - vegetarian or non-vegetarian. You can use chickpeas in salad or make a delicious curry with them. As they have fewer calories in comparison to cow peas and beans, you must try them if you want to lose some extra weight.

Apart from aiding in your weight loss program, chickpeas are also wonderful for your skin provided you use them regularly - they make your skin soft and clean. Using chickpeas for the skin is very easy. You simply need to boil some of these peas and prepare a paste out of them. Subsequently, apply the paste all over your face and neck. Once the paste has dried, scrub it out well and wash your face and neck. This will help you to get rid of all the dead cells and dirt accumulated due to pollution too. However, remember that you should not scrub too roughly, as doing so will also wipe off the essential oils. You can get the best results by using the chickpea scrub twice every week.

Garbanzo beans or chickpeas are very rich in dietary fiber content, which aids in preventing constipation, while promoting regularity. Moreover, the fiber present in chickpeas also works as a bulking agent in our digestive system and, in this way, it helps to promote the general health of the digestive system.

What is more important is the fact that fiber helps in sustaining the pH balance and helps the healthy bacteria in the gut to thrive. At the same time, it aids in reducing the number of harmful bacteria in our gut.

In addition to fiber, chickpeas also enclose starch that may help in digestion.

Our hair is as important segment of our body as the others are and, hence, it is necessary to take care of our hair regularly. No one would like their hair to fall or break. Therefore, if you wish to prevent such common problems related to your hair, it is advisable that you utilize the wholesome health benefits of chickpeas. Garbanzo beans will not only combat the common problems related to your hair, but also protect them from all kinds of damage. In addition, they will promote the growth of your hair and make them look beautiful and shiny. Therefore, if you wish to give your hair a beautiful and shiny appearance, which everyone desires, you should definitely utilize the benefits of chickpeas.

Chickpeas are especially beneficial for women as it helps them to fight some of the common health problems they face in their thirties, especially those related to aging. Some of the symptoms related to aging include wrinkles, dark spots, fine line and others. Using chickpeas is a wonderful way to combat these problems and ensure that your skin remains youthful as well as radiant all through the year. Chickpeas will help in inhibiting the normal aging process, tone up your skin and also give the skin a healthy and natural glow.

Garbanzo beans are also beneficial for improving your overall eye sight. Therefore, it is recommended that you should use them regularly. In fact you will be astonished to know how these peas can help to improve the health of your eyes. Chickpeas are loaded with vitamin A, which is necessary to maintain the health of your eyesight, mucus membranes and also the skin. Among the various health benefits offered by garbanzo beans, this is among the most important.

In fact, chickpeas offer us a variety of health benefits. They enclose elevated levels of antioxidants, which are extremely important for your body. Antioxidants help us to avoid a variety of serious diseases and, at the same time, reinforce the immune system. As they are loaded with various nutrients, they are able to strengthen your immune system easily. As a result, you will be above to avoid many serious diseases, including cancer.

Some advantages of consuming chickpeas are not yet very well known to many. One of them is that they possess the ability to strengthen our bones. In fact, they are considered to be among the best vegetables that improve the health of our bones and also protect them from fractures and breaking. As chickpeas have very rich vitamin K content, they help us to get our body rid of all free radicals, which are responsible for many of the health issues we endure. Vitamin K is also beneficial for the health of our bones as well as the overall body. It helps to protect us from various cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, consuming chickpeas regularly helps us to obtain the various health benefits offered by this vegetable.

Long back, our ancestors had recognized the health benefits of consuming chickpeas during pregnancy. Consuming chickpeas helps to improve the health of your baby. As a result, you will not have to worry about any defects in the baby as the nutrients in chickpeas will never allow any dangerous condition to affect your baby. Consequently, your baby will be healthy and beautiful at birth. In fact, this is a major reason why many physicians and health experts recommend pregnant women to consume plenty of vegetables, including chickpeas.

Among the several health benefits of chickpeas one is its ability to lower the levels of blood sugar. These beans are really amazing as their Glycaemic Index makes them the perfect food for diabetic patients. Consuming chickpeas on a regular basis also helps to lower the risks of developing diabetes, especially for people who have a family history of high blood sugar levels.

Garbanzo beans have exceptionally high levels of dietary fiber, potassium as well as various other essential minerals that are beneficial for the health of your heart. It has been established that chickpeas also help to lower the cholesterol levels in our body. In this way, they help us to avoid various fatal cardiovascular diseases. In addition, garbanzo beans work to reduce obesity, which protects the heart from sudden attacks.

Chickpeas also enclose specific phytochemicals known as sapotins - these phytochemicals are said to combat carcinogenic cells, thereby reducing the risks of these cells from spreading inside the body. In fact, it is believed that chickpeas are among the best anti-cancer diets, which is effective in reducing the chances of developing colorectal cancer. People who have a history of cancer in their family are advised to eat chickpeas on a regular basis.

Among the various uses of chickpeas, they are also utilized for therapeutic purposes to prevent as well as treat inflammation. These beans are rich in anti-inflammatory agents that aid in restraining inflammation and redness in tissues. At the same time, they also help to alleviate pains. When you include chickpeas in your diet, it helps to deal with various joint problems too.

Aside from being loaded with antioxidants, chickpeas have rich flavonoid content that has the ability to lessen oxidative damages in the body due to the harmful free radicals. These beans are also said to promote growth of new cells and, at the same time, protect us from various deadly infections. Therefore, it is not surprising that consuming chickpeas are one of the best ways to strengthen the immune system.

In case you are enduring high blood pressure (hypertension), you should definitely eat chickpeas regularly as they are known to bring down the levels of harmful cholesterol that block the blood vessels, especially the arterial walls. As chickpeas contain high levels of potassium, but very less sodium, they can control the blood circulation in the body. In this way, these beans check the blood pressure and maintain the normal readings.

When the dandruff condition aggravates during the winter months, the condition is called winter dandruff. This happens owing to the arid and cold climatic conditions. Chickpea is also loaded with the essential mineral zinc, which has the ability to combat yeast infections, thereby reduce scaly and itchy scalp conditions. In addition, you can prepare a paste of boiled chickpeas and add lemon to it. Apply the paste as a hair mask if you wish to get a very smooth, lustrous and dandruff free hair.