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Green peas are an extremely popular food and you can find them fresh, frozen, dried, and canned. Whether you eat them in soups, stews, or as a side dish with carrots, these seed pulses can be found almost anywhere. While most people consider green peas a vegetable, they are a part of the legume family like lentils and beans, according to verywell health.
There are several types of peas available including yellow, purple, and black-eyed peas but green peas are the most common ones. In fact, it is the variety most people automatically think of when it comes to peas. Snow and snap peas have edible pods. But no matter which variety you choose, peas are incredibly good for your health. Here are five excellent reasons to eat green peas.
Nutrient Rich
Green peas are nutrient rich and contain almost every vitamin and mineral your body needs, according to Healthline, including a large amount of manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamins K, C, A, folate, and thiamine. While the veggie is considered a starch, it is low in calories and 25 percent of them are provided by protein. Green peas are also rich in fiber – just one serving gives your three grams – and they also contain polyphenol antioxidants.
Excellent Source of Protein
Eating green peas is an excellent way for you to consume enough protein. In fact, peas are one of the best plant-based proteins for vegans and vegetarians. Eating enough protein helps keep your muscles strong and your bones healthy. But it is important for you to eat a variety of plant proteins so that you get all the amino acids your body needs to stay healthy.
Good for Your Gut
Green peas are good for your gut because of the large amount of fiber they contain. Fiber helps to feed the good bacteria in your gut which keeps unhealthy bacteria from growing. This could help reduce the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease and IBS. The fiber in green peas also helps to keep you regular.
Heart Health Properties
The heart-healthy minerals that green peas contain help to prevent high blood pressure which is one of the leading causes of heart disease. In fact, potassium and calcium can help lower your blood pressure. But that’s not all. Eating a fiber-rich diet may also lower your risk of developing heart disease, explained Real Simple, by reducing both bad LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels.
Helps With Blood Sugar Control
Green peas are also relatively low on the glycemic index (GI) which measures how quickly your blood sugar rises after eating. A low GI means that your blood sugar will not spike after having a snack or a meal. The fiber in green peas also slows the rate that cars are absorbed and this means that blood sugar levels will rise slowly. This could help keep diabetes under control.
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