Chickpeas, also called Garbanzo beans, are an excellent choice for those who want to eat healthy, cook healthy and feel great. These beans originated in the Middle East. The Latin name for them is Cicer arietinum, meaning "small ram," reflecting the unique shape of this legume that somewhat resembles a ram's head. These beans are also referred to as chickpeas, Bengal gram and Egyptian peas.

The beans are soaked overnight in water and then boiled with some salt and turmeric added. They have a delicious nutlike taste and buttery texture. They provide a good source of protein that can be enjoyed all year-round.

A very versatile legume, chickpeas are a noted ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Indian dishes and curries.

Dieting to reduce weight

For people who are dieting to lose weight, these boiled beans that supply sufficient nutrients, would be one of the best choices to munch in between meals for hunger. One cup full of cooked beans (as shown in chart), has less than 300 calories, with little sugar (4.80g in 100g). It would be an ideal choice for diabetics as the Glycaemic Index (GI) is low.

It is the high fibre content and low GI that makes chickpeas an excellent food for weight loss. A salad made with chickpeas is tasty and can keep you full longer, controlling the appetite.

Cholesterol lowering

Chickpeas have a high content of fibre. They are rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. The soluble fibre forms a gel-like substance in the gut, while the insoluble fibre increases the stool bulk and prevents constipation. The beans are helpful in preventing digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. They become a good source of cholesterol-lowering food. These beans eaten daily can significantly lower both total and LDL "bad" cholesterol.

Other research published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism has shown that including beans specifically in the diet significantly lowers both total and LDL "bad" cholesterol (Pittaway JK, Ahuga KD, et al.). The high fibre will also prevent blood sugar levels rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans especially good for individuals with diabetes and insulin resistance.

Lowers heart disease risk

These beans have significant amounts of folate and magnesium which are very important for heart health. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called methylation cycle. Elevated levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease, and are found in between 20-40% of patients with heart disease.

It is estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value (DV) of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by people each year by 10%. Just one cup of boiled chickpeas provides 70.5% of the daily value (DV) for folate.

Stabilising blood sugar

As mentioned earlier these beans stabilize the sugar level in diabetics. The high fibre content of these beans controls the sugar level in the blood while providing steady, slow burning energy. Researchers compared two groups of people with type 2 diabetes who were fed different amounts of high fibre foods. One group ate the standard American Diabetic diet, which contains 24 grams of fibre/day, while the other group ate a diet containing 50 grams of fibre/day. Those who ate the diet higher in fibre had lower levels of both plasma blood sugar and insulin.

When you add legumes to meals and snacks, you reduce the overall GI of your diet because your body digests them slowly. So make the most of beans, chickpeas, lentils, and whole and split dried peas.

Iron for energy

Expectant mothers should eat plenty of these beans, especially if you are suffering from iron deficiency. Iron is an integral component of haemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism.

For cancer

These beans contain phyto-chemicals called saponins, which can act as antioxidants. It could lower the risk of breast cancer, protect against osteoporosis and minimise hot flushes in post-menopausal women.

For vegetarians

Vegetarians who don't eat meat should eat plenty of these beans and other legumes to supply the protein requirement to the body.

Gout

People who suffer from gout should not eat these beans. These legumes contain purines and in some people who are susceptible to purine related problems, excessive intake of these substances can cause health problems and gout. These purines are broken down into uric acid and the health condition is called gout. Uric acid from purines can cause kidney stones. Such people who suffer from kidney stones and gout should restrict taking these beans.

Tips for preparing Chickpeas

These dried beans should be soaked in water to reduce the raffinose-type oligosaccharides, sugars associated with causing flatulence.

There are two ways to presoak these beans:

Boil the beans in water for two minutes, take pan off the heat, cover and allow to stand for two hours.
Or soak the beans in water for eight hours or overnight, placing pan in the refrigerator so that they will not ferment.

Before cooking, regardless of the method used, skim off any skin that floats on the surface, drain the soaking liquid, and rinse the chickpeas in clean water.