benefits of peas

Peas are really little powerhouses of nutrition that are a boon for your health and the whole planet. Read all their benefits, how to use them properly, and some easy recipes. Well start with the benefits of this tastypowerfood. Sweet, delicious green peas or garden peas are one of the ancient cultivated vegetables grown for their succulent nutritious greenpods. Peas are probably originated in the subHimalayan plains of northwest India. Now, this versatile legume is one of the major commercial crops grown all over the temperate, and semitropical regions.

Legumes are plants that bear fruit in the form of pods enclosing the fleshy seeds we know as beans. Peas are one of the few members of the legume family that are commonly sold and cooked as fresh vegetables. Other members of the legume family, including lentils, chickpeas, and beans of all colors are most often sold in dried form. There are generally three types of peas that are commonly eaten: garden or green peas (Pisum sativum), snow peas (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon) and snap peas (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon ser. cv.). Garden peas have rounded pods that are usually slightly curved in shape with a smooth texture and vibrant green color. Inside of them are green rounded pea seeds that are sweet and starchy in taste. Snow peas are flatter than garden peas, and since they are not fully opaque, you can usually see the shadows of the flat peas seeds within. Snap peas, a cross between the garden and snow pea, have plump pods with a crisp, snappy texture. The pods of both snow peas and snap peas are edible, and both feature a slightly sweeter and cooler taste than the garden pea. Peas and other legumes belong to the plant family known as theFabaceae, which is also commonly called the bean family or the pulse family. In fact, commercial production of peas is commonly placed within the category of pulse production, and like its fellow legumes, peas are often referred to as pulses.

The modernday garden pea is thought to have originated from the field pea that was native to central Asia and the Middle East. Because its cultivation dates back thousands and thousands of years, the green pea is widely recognized as one of the first food crops to be cultivated by humans. Peas were apparently consumed in dry form throughout much of their early history, and did not become widely popular as a fresh food until changes in cultivation techniques that took place in Europe in the 16th century. Peas are now grown throughout the world in nearly every climatic zone, and are widely consumed in both fresh and dried form.

Green peas have been largely overlooked in research studies on legumes, which have tended to concentrate only on beans. In studies where the health benefits of green peas have been directly examined, its usually been in their dried versus fresh form. These research trends are ones that we would really like to see reversed! Due to the lack of widescale health research on green peas, many of the connections that we would expect to see need further research substantiation. Despite the lack of studies directly linking green pea intake to improved health, we believe that the outstanding nutrient composition of green peas will eventually be shown to have farreaching health benefits, extending well beyond the ones presented in this Health Benefits section.

Peas are lowfat but higheverythingelse. A cup of peas has less than 100 calories but lots of protein, fiber and micronutrients. pea plant is an herbaceous vine. It belongs to the family of Fabaceae, in the genus, Pisum. Scientific name: Pisum sativum. Some of the common names include english peas, sweet peas, garden peas, pease,...etc.

Peas contain high amounts of a healthprotective polyphenol called coumestrol. A study in Mexico City determined you only need 2 milligrams per day of this phytonutrient to help prevent stomach cancer. A cup of peas has at least 10. In general, the pods harvested while just short of reaching maturity, at the point when their seeds are green, soft, sweet and edible as raw. Allowing the pods to mature further would make seeds less sugary, starchy, bitter and turn lightgreen to yellow.

This comes from the high levels of antioxidants, including: 1flavinoids: catechin and epicatechin. 2carotenoid: alphacarotene and betacarotene. 3phenolic acids: ferulic and caffeic acid. 4polyphenols: coumestrol. Pea tendrils are also edible. They are delicate, tender top shoots of young pea plants, having flavor akin to peas. The tendrils and leafyshoots are favored in cooking as well in salads.

These come from peas strong antiinflammatory properties. Excessinflammationhas also been linked toheart disease, cancer, and aging in general. These properties include: 1Pisumsaponins I and II and pisomosides A and B (antiinflammatory phytonutrients found almost exclusively in peas). 2Vitamin C and vitamin E, and a good amount of the antioxidant mineral zinc. 3Omega3 fat in the form of alphalinolenic acid (ALA).

Peas high fiber and protein slows down how fast sugars are digested. Their antioxidants and antiinflammatory agents prevent or reverse insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes) All peas carbohydrates are natural sugars and starches with nowhite sugars or chemicalsto worry about.

The many antioxidant and antiinflammatory compounds in peas support healthy blood vessels. The formation of plaque along our blood vessel walls starts with chronic, excessive oxidative stress andinflammation. The generous amounts of vitamin B1 and folate, B2, B3, and B6 reduce homocysteine levels, which are a risk factor for heart disease.