The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Health benefits of Peas ‘minji’. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and develop from the ovary of a (pea) flower. The name is also used to describe other edible seeds from the Fabaceae such as the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), and the seeds from several species of Lathyrus.
Peas are annual plants, with a life cycle of one year. They are a cool-season crop grown in many parts of the world; planting can take place from winter to early summer depending on location. The average pea weighs between 0.1 and 0.36 gram. The immature peas (and in snow peas the tender pod as well) are used as a vegetable, fresh, frozen or canned; varieties of the species typically called field peas are grown to produce dry peas like the split pea shelled from a matured pod. These are the basis of pease porridge and pea soup, staples of medieval cuisine; in Europe, consuming fresh immature green peas was an innovation of early modern cuisine.
Health benefits of peas ‘minji’
Green peas have a myriad of health benefits such as protection against chronic diseases like heart diseases, diabetes and cancer. It also controls blood sugar levels and aid in digestion.
Peas are a Good Source of iron
Summary: Beans, peas and lentils are rich in iron. These legumes also contain good amounts of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that may reduce your risk of various diseases. Peas are a good source of iron. According to Healthline.com iron deficiency is the leading cause of anaemia. If you don’t have enough iron, your body can’t make enough healthy oxygen-carrying red blood cells thereby causing hemoglobin deficiency.
Peas Builds immunity
Nutrition. Peas are a good source of vitamins C and E, zinc, and other antioxidants that strengthen your immune system. Other nutrients, such as vitamins A and B and coumestrol, help reduce inflammation and lower your risk of chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. Peas are rich in vitamin C, which makes it one of the best immunity building foods. According to Healingfoods.com, “a single serving of peas or snow peas supplies half your daily needs. Peas, especially pea shoots, also contains phytoalexins, an antioxidant that can inhibit H.Pylori, the bacterium that causes stomach and duodenal ulcers and stomach cancer.
Peas are Good for heart
Green peas contain a decent amount of heart-healthy minerals, such as magnesium, potassium and calcium. Diets high in these nutrients may be helpful for preventing high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease . The insoluble fibre content present in peas helps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Apart from this, peas also help in ensuring stable blood sugar regulation in the body.
Weight loss
The bite-sized peas can help you shed some quick pounds too. Peas are low in fat and also immensely low on calories as compared to heavier legumes like beans and cowpeas. Some 100 grams of peas contains only 81 calories. The high content of fibre too plays its role in weight reduction. Fibre helps induce the feeling of fullness which keeps you from bingeing into other foods.
Good for men’s health
Peas can help increase the sperm count and motility. According to Healingfoods.com, “Glycodelin- a substance found in snow peas, can help strengthen sperms and improves their ability to fertilise an egg. Have them in your soups, stews, gravies or sandwiches, but make sure you don’t miss out on the goodness of these lovely and healthy pods.
Peas in medicine
Some people experience allergic reactions to peas, as well as lentils, with vicilin or convicilin as the usual allergens.
Favism, or Fava-bean-ism, is a genetic deficiency of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase that affects Jews, other Middle Eastern Semitic peoples and other descendants of the Mediterranean coastal regions. In this condition, the toxic reaction to eating most, if not all, beans is hemolytic anemia, and in severe cases the released circulating free hemoglobin causes acute kidney injury.
