College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

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Are Chickpeas (Garbanzos) Good for You?

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1. Ayurvedic Perspective

2. Biocharacteristics & Herbal Actions

3. Similar foods and herbs

4. Impact: On tongue, nerves, elimination, etc.

5. Indications / Benefits

6. Comments and reviews

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Recipes with Chickpea (Garbanzo): Sweet Potato Fries & Red Pepper Hummus

The short answer is yes, chickpeas are good for you. Here are some of the ways:

The fiber in chickpeas is nearly 75% insoluble and remains undigested as it reaches the colon. This significantly bulks up stools for a satisfying morning elimination.
As with many high fiber foods, beans have been shown to reduce cholesterol, perhaps because of their flushing effect on the gallbladder. The high protein content in beans helps rebuild muscle tissue as winter hibernation yields to outdoor activities and projects.
Chickpeas have a higher amount of tryptophan than other legumes. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, helps regulate sleep and emotions. Using chickpeas in recipes adds a soothing, comfort food feeling.

Beans are the "musical fruit" because they are difficult to digest, as they contain saponins to protect themselves against digestion by insects.

You can see these saponins when you cook beans. As saponins are released, they form a sudsy foam on the surface of a cooking pot of beans. These saponins prevent protein digestion resulting in stagnation and gas of the bowels. Among legumes, chickpeas are easier to digest, having a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score of about .76.

Buying & Preparation

Pressure cooked beans (as in an InstantPot) are easiest to digest. Although canned foods are frowned upon in Ayurveda, we find canned beans easier to digest. Sprouted and soaked beans are also easier to digest.

Cooking Chickpea (Garbanzo)

Chickpeas are a chief ingredient in cuisines from India to the Middle East where they have been cultivated for at least 7,500 years.

They are a chief ingredient in hummus and falafel. In India, dried chickpeas are ground into a flour called Besan that is used in savory hors d'oeuvres, as a batter in fried foods, and in desserts. They may be eaten cold in salads.

See Jumping on Beans for different ways to enjoy beans. Learn how to reduce gaseyness in beans.

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Is Chickpea (Garbanzo) Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Chickpea (Garbanzo)' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

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AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

SERVING SIZE: 1/4 c

SPECIES: Cicer arietinum

FAMILY: Fabaceae

MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER, SNACK-DESSERT

PREPARATION: SALAD

EAT IN: SUMMER

Metabolic Nature of Chickpea (Garbanzo)

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

INCREASES Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic. Learn More	DRY ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY HEAVY ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT COLD ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD
TASTES The 6 Tastes Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below? Learn More	ASTRINGENT ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying. LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	Affinity: Bowel Poop Elimination, Cleanse And Detox, Liver Gallbladder, Mind Stress Sleep, Weight Loss Family: Fabaceae
HERBAL ACTIONS (see all)	Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Chickpea (Garbanzo) Experiences are Personal Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition. Digestion: Appetite Suppressant APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain. SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS Bowel Health: High Fiber Laxative STRONG HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr SEE ALL 'HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS , Constipative CONSTIPATIVE An herb that binds stools / stops diarrhea. When used in excess, these herbs and foods can cause constipation. SEE ALL 'CONSTIPATIVE' FOODS / HERBS , General Laxative MILD GENERAL-LAXATIVE Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives. SEE ALL 'GENERAL-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS Energy Vitality: Satisfies Stomach STRONG SATISFIES-STOMACH Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach. SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS , Nutritive NUTRITIVE An herb that is strengthening and nourishing. SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS Heart & Circulation: Styptic STYPTIC A herb that contracts tissue or blood vessels. Generally styptics are astringent. They are often used topically as a hemostatic to stop bleeding, or to reduce secretions. SEE ALL 'STYPTIC' FOODS / HERBS Weight Loss: Hypolipidemic HYPOLIPIDEMIC Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells. SEE ALL 'HYPOLIPIDEMIC' FOODS / HERBS Constituents: Tannins, Folate, Inositol INOSITOL Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water. SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS , Insoluble Fiber, Iron IRON Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells. SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS , Isoflavone ISOFLAVONE A type of naturally occurring isoflavonoid. Many have a phytoestrogen effect. Frequently found in the pea family (Fabaceae). SEE ALL 'ISOFLAVONE' FOODS / HERBS , Manganese, Phosphorous, Phytates PHYTATES Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar. SEE ALL 'PHYTATES' FOODS / HERBS , Protein, Saponins SAPONINS Can be used to make soap. Saponins stimulate mucus membrane secretion, liquefying mucus for easy removal (expectorant). SEE ALL 'SAPONINS' FOODS / HERBS , Soluble Fiber

Foods with a Similar Nature to Chickpea (Garbanzo)

Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)

Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, General-laxative, Nutritive, Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

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White Navy Bean

White Navy Bean has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, General-laxative, Nutritive, Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

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Kidney Beans

Kidney Beans has these Actions in Common

High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach, Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, General-laxative, Nutritive, Appetite-suppressant

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Butter Bean

Butter Bean has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach, Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, General-laxative, Nutritive

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Pinto Beans

Pinto Beans has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach, Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, General-laxative, Nutritive

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Fava Beans

Fava Beans has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, General-laxative, Nutritive, Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

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Black Beans

Black Beans has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, General-laxative, Nutritive, Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

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Split Peas

Split Peas has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative, Styptic, Constipative, Hypolipidemic, General-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

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Yellow Lentil (Toor Dal)

Yellow Lentil (Toor Dal) has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, General-laxative, Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Brown Lentil

Brown Lentil has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Hypolipidemic, Styptic, Constipative, Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

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Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Chickpea (Garbanzo)

Arjuna

Arjuna has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Styptic

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Agrimony

Agrimony has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Constipative, Styptic

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Vidari

Vidari has these Actions in Common

Constipative, Hypolipidemic, Nutritive

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Amalaki

Amalaki has these Actions in Common

General-laxative, Nutritive, Styptic

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How to Do a Home Enema Guidebook

How to Do a Home Enema Guidebook has these Actions in Common

High-fiber-laxative, General-laxative

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Cleaning the Colon: Safe Enema at Home

Cleaning the Colon: Safe Enema at Home has these Actions in Common

General-laxative, High-fiber-laxative

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Gymnema / Gurmar

Gymnema / Gurmar has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Psyllium Seed Fiber Supplement

Psyllium Seed Fiber Supplement has these Actions in Common

High-fiber-laxative, General-laxative

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Bilva

Bilva has these Actions in Common

General-laxative, Styptic

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Sukumaram Ghrita

Sukumaram Ghrita has these Actions in Common

General-laxative, Nutritive

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White Oak Bark

White Oak Bark has these Actions in Common

Appetite-suppressant, Styptic

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Impact of Chickpea (Garbanzo)

In each clinical research trial below, students from the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and reported the pharmacological effects. See other clinical research trials for diet & herbs at Joyful Belly.