20 Powerful Uses & Benefits Of Black Chickpeas You Should Know About

May 22, 2023 by Pranay David

Black chickpea or ‘Kaala Chana’ is fundamentally anitemfound in most kitchens. It would be news to meifsomeone didn’t comprehend what we are talking abouteven after seeing its pictures. Chickpeas are of two sorts to be specific ‘Kabuli Chana’ (white) and ‘Desi Chana’ (black). We may call it by different names, for example, Kala Chana, Bengal gram or Garbanzo beans. It is amazingly useful in many ways which we shall be telling you in a while.

Article Contains

Nutritional Facts About Black Chickpeas

In a cup-full of chickpeas when boiled would contain(1)

Energy to the tune of around 269 kcal.
4g of fat.
< ½ g of saturated fats associated with raising cholesterol.
~ 15 g of protein which accounts for around 30 % of the required daily value based on a diet with 2000 calories.
45 g of carbohydrates.
8 g natural sugar.
0 g cholesterol.
13 g of fiber.
477 mg of potassium ~ 14 % of required daily value.
11 mg of sodium < 1% of required daily value. (if you boil them in salt water, they will have ~ 399 mg of sodium)
7 mg of iron ~ 28 % of required daily value.
80 mg of calcium ~ 8% of required daily value.
282 mg of folate ~ 71 % of required daily value.

Benefits of Black Chickpeas

Being tremendously fiber rich and loaded with plant protein, they enhance assimilation, detoxify the body, give vitality to the body working, and subsequently help us in getting more fit. They keep us satisfied for a more drawn out time, and accordingly minimize the additional hunger. This helps us to maintain a strategic distance from gorging on calories and we lose weight(2). Isn’t that what most of us want.
They are a good source to provide Iron(3) to our body and thus help us combat anemia.
They are a good choice for diabetes(4) patients because of their low glycemic(5) index. The carbohydrates in them also get released very slowly into the body and thus they keep the insulin production under check. The iron and fiber also aid in the regulation of serum glucose.
The chickpeas contain soluble fibers which help in fighting off bad cholesterol(6) levels. They do so by binding bile acids. Similarly, they help in fighting triglycerides too.
It is a good source of providing the body with manganese, thiamine, phosphorous and magnesium. Being rich in the above minerals, it acts as a fantastic immunity and energy booster.
Chickpeas contains a lot of phytonutrients such as phytoestrogens and saponins(7), which lower the risk of osteoporosis and contracting breastcancer by maintaining estrogen levels in the blood. They also help us fightmoodswings during periods and the symptoms after the menopause.
Chickpeas help in maintenance of electrolyte balance of our body by the magnesium and potassium present in them. They are also known to reduce blood pressure and prevent hypertension.
The magnesium and folate in black chickpeas help us maintain a healthy heart(8) by making the blood vessels stronger. They also help in lowering the low-density cholesterol (bad cholesterol). The vitamins B6 and C also help in maintenanceofgoodcardiachealth.
The folate present in the black chickpeas also help in prevention of the child birth defects in pregnant ladies.
Being low in sodium content, it is a good food to eat if avoiding high blood pressure and water retention is the goal. But in that case, do not boil them in water along with salt. The potassium in them also help us combat the negatives caused by sodium. This combo also helps in prevention of stroke and kidney diseases.
They contain calcium, iron, phosphate, magnesium, manganese, zinc and Vitamin K which help in improving and in the maintenance of bone strength(9), structure and health. It also contains Vitamin K whose deficiency can leave us more prone to suffering fractions.
They also contain a mineral called selenium which is rarely found in most foods. This helps in ensuring a healthy liver enzyme function, detoxifying the body, preventing inflammation and in decreasing the growth rate of tumors. The folate also helps in synthesizing and repairing DNA and prevents cancer(10) occurrence. The saponinsprevent the multiplication of cancerous cells. The high fiber contents reduce colorectal cancer risk.
Most vegetarian foods are not very good sources of protein but black chickpeas are probably famous for their protein(11) content. They help in providing us energy, regeneration of muscles and their growth.
Seen someone with white spots on the skin or are you suffering from that as well? Well this condition, known as leukoderma can be treated by black chickpeas. Take some black chickpeas and soak them in around ½ a cup of water with around 1- 1½ teaspoon of triphalachuran (powdered mix of amlai.e.Indian gooseberry, haritakii.e. Chebulic Myrobalan, and Vibhitakii.e.BelericMyrobalan) for a day and eat them when they begin to sprout. Practicing this regularly leads to reduction in leukoderma.
Black chickpea, if included in the diet daily, will get you rid of ringworm infection.
Having a good quantity of proteins, black chickpea consumption will promote healthy hair by strengthening them and promoting their growth. They also help in prevention of premature greying and in preventing hair loss. Eating chickpeas also helps us keep our head clear from dandruff.
Besan gram flour is made from these black chickpeas, and that makes an excellent skin care remedy. It helps us in maintaining a healthy and vibrant skin.
They are a great source of Vitamin A(12) which is essential to maintain a perfect vision. So, we know eating black chickpeas will also keep those glasses away.
In case you suffer a dysentery because of the scorching heat outside, you can soak the coating of black chickpea seeds (around a bowl) overnight in ¾ liter of water and drink that water after straining it in the morning. It will relieve you from the bloody dysentery and control the stools.
Half a bowl of roasted KaalaChana with a glass of hot milk, if consumed before going to bed, will remove the phlegm congestion.

We have just seen 20 ways in which Black Chickpeas will benefit us when consumed. With so many benefits having been told, why are you still not including them in your daily diet!

Scientific Evidence:

Food Data Central- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/440221/nutrients
Fiber Intake Predicts Weight Loss and Dietary Adherence in Adults Consuming Calorie-Restricted Diets: The POUNDS Lost (Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) Study- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6768815/
Iron Fortification and Bioavailability of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Seeds and Flour- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335901672_Iron_Fortification_and_Bioavailability_of_Chickpea_Cicer_arietinum_L_Seeds_and_Flour
Chickpeas suppress postprandial blood glucose concentration, and appetite and reduce energy intake at the next meal- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5336455/
Glycemic Response to Black Beans and Chickpeas as Part of a Rice Meal: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28976933/
Glycemic Response to Black Beans and Chickpeas as Part of a Rice Meal: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5691712/
Isoflavones from black chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L) sprouts with antioxidant and antiproliferative activity- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33424409/
Influence of the preparation process on the chemical composition and nutritional value of canned purée of kabuli and Apulian black chickpeas- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844018386948
Protein and bone health across the lifespan- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30095063/
Modification of In Vitro and In Vivo Antioxidant Activity by Consumption of Cooked Chickpea in a Colon Cancer Model- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551972/
Nutritional and Functional Advantages of the Use of Fermented Black Chickpea Flour for Semolina-Pasta Fortification- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7831118/
The Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Hummus- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5188421/