| Peas BENEFITS zhion@zhion.com September, 2008 |
In 1996, Wang YH and Mcintosh GH from CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition,
Australia reported the cholesterol-lowering effect of peas on rats. [1] A few years
later, Martins JM and co-workers from Universidade de Evora, Portugal, reported a
raw pea seed diet was able to lower the plasma total cholesterol in pigs via a
mechanism involving increased fecal bile acid output and an increased biliary bile
acid concentration.
Peas have been used in the dry form since ancient times, and archaeologists found
them in Egyptian tombs. It was not until the sixteenth century that more tender
varieties were developed and eaten fresh. Today only about 5 % of all peas grown
are sold fresh. More than half of all peas sold are canned and most of the rest are
frozen.
Green peas are actually a member of the legume family. This family includes plants
that bear pods enclosing fleshy seeds. Green peas do not require the long cooking
times that are required by dried legumes such as split peas and pinto beans. Peas
are a good low calorie source of protein. A 100-calorie serving of peas (about ¾ cup)
contains more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter and has
less than one gram of fat and no cholesterol.
Fresh green peas should be refrigerated. Half of their sugar content will turn to
starch within six hours if they are kept at room temperature. Low temperatures also
preserve their texture and nutrient content. Look for pods that are firm, have glossy
pods with a slightly velvety feel, filled to appear almost bursting, and peas should not
rattle loosely in the pod. Pods should not be dull, yellowed, or heavily speckled.
Snow peas should be shiny and flat, with very small peas that are barely visible
through the pod. Smaller pods are the sweetest and the most tender. Sugar snap
peas should be bright green, plump, and firm.
It is best to serve all types of fresh peas the day they are purchased. If they must be
stored, place them in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash them
before they are stored. Shell green peas right before you cook them.
Rinse peas before shelling them. To shell peas, pinch the stem off with your
fingernails and pull the string down the length of the pod. The pod will pop open and
the peas can be pushed out of the pod with your thumb. When finished, wash all
peas.
Rinse snow peas and sugar snap peas before use. To trim snow peas, cut the tips
from both ends of the pod. This can be done with kitchen shears. Sugar snap peas
need to have the strings removed before eaten cooked or raw. The string runs
around both sides of the sugar snap pod. It is easiest to start from the bottom tip and
pull the string up the front, and then snap the stem off and pull the string down the
back of the pod.
Varieties
Green peas are nestled within large, bulging, grass green pods that are typically
round and sweet. The green pea pods are tough, do not have good flavor, and
therefore, are not eaten.
Snow peas (Chinese pea pods) and sugar snap peas are more often found fresh,
but many companies are now selling them frozen. These peas are eaten raw or
cooked with the pod intact.
One serving of peas is 1/2 cup or 80 g of cooked peas. One serving size contains 70
calories, 0 calories from fat, 0 g from total fat, 0 mg of sodium, 13 g of total
carbohydrate, 4 g of dietary fiber, 5 g of sugars, 4 g of protein 15% daily value of
vitamin A, 2% daily value of vitamin C, 2% of calcium and 6% of iron. The percent
daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
[1] Wang YH and Mcintosh GH, Extrusion and boiling improve rat body weight gain and plasma
cholesterol lowering ability of peas and chickpeas. J Nutr. 1996 Dec;126(12):3054-62. [2] Martins
JM et al, Dietary raw peas (Pisum sativum L.) reduce plasma total and LDL cholesterol and
hepatic esterified cholesterol in intact and ileorectal anastomosed pigs fed cholesterol-rich diets.
J Nutr. 2004 Dec;134(12):3305-12. SOURCE CRC.gov
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2008 ZHION DO NOT COPY THIS ARTICLE TO OTHER BLOG(S) OR
WEBSITE(S).
Australia reported the cholesterol-lowering effect of peas on rats. [1] A few years
later, Martins JM and co-workers from Universidade de Evora, Portugal, reported a
raw pea seed diet was able to lower the plasma total cholesterol in pigs via a
mechanism involving increased fecal bile acid output and an increased biliary bile
acid concentration.
Peas have been used in the dry form since ancient times, and archaeologists found
them in Egyptian tombs. It was not until the sixteenth century that more tender
varieties were developed and eaten fresh. Today only about 5 % of all peas grown
are sold fresh. More than half of all peas sold are canned and most of the rest are
frozen.
Green peas are actually a member of the legume family. This family includes plants
that bear pods enclosing fleshy seeds. Green peas do not require the long cooking
times that are required by dried legumes such as split peas and pinto beans. Peas
are a good low calorie source of protein. A 100-calorie serving of peas (about ¾ cup)
contains more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter and has
less than one gram of fat and no cholesterol.
Fresh green peas should be refrigerated. Half of their sugar content will turn to
starch within six hours if they are kept at room temperature. Low temperatures also
preserve their texture and nutrient content. Look for pods that are firm, have glossy
pods with a slightly velvety feel, filled to appear almost bursting, and peas should not
rattle loosely in the pod. Pods should not be dull, yellowed, or heavily speckled.
Snow peas should be shiny and flat, with very small peas that are barely visible
through the pod. Smaller pods are the sweetest and the most tender. Sugar snap
peas should be bright green, plump, and firm.
It is best to serve all types of fresh peas the day they are purchased. If they must be
stored, place them in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash them
before they are stored. Shell green peas right before you cook them.
Rinse peas before shelling them. To shell peas, pinch the stem off with your
fingernails and pull the string down the length of the pod. The pod will pop open and
the peas can be pushed out of the pod with your thumb. When finished, wash all
peas.
Rinse snow peas and sugar snap peas before use. To trim snow peas, cut the tips
from both ends of the pod. This can be done with kitchen shears. Sugar snap peas
need to have the strings removed before eaten cooked or raw. The string runs
around both sides of the sugar snap pod. It is easiest to start from the bottom tip and
pull the string up the front, and then snap the stem off and pull the string down the
back of the pod.
Varieties
Green peas are nestled within large, bulging, grass green pods that are typically
round and sweet. The green pea pods are tough, do not have good flavor, and
therefore, are not eaten.
Snow peas (Chinese pea pods) and sugar snap peas are more often found fresh,
but many companies are now selling them frozen. These peas are eaten raw or
cooked with the pod intact.
One serving of peas is 1/2 cup or 80 g of cooked peas. One serving size contains 70
calories, 0 calories from fat, 0 g from total fat, 0 mg of sodium, 13 g of total
carbohydrate, 4 g of dietary fiber, 5 g of sugars, 4 g of protein 15% daily value of
vitamin A, 2% daily value of vitamin C, 2% of calcium and 6% of iron. The percent
daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
[1] Wang YH and Mcintosh GH, Extrusion and boiling improve rat body weight gain and plasma
cholesterol lowering ability of peas and chickpeas. J Nutr. 1996 Dec;126(12):3054-62. [2] Martins
JM et al, Dietary raw peas (Pisum sativum L.) reduce plasma total and LDL cholesterol and
hepatic esterified cholesterol in intact and ileorectal anastomosed pigs fed cholesterol-rich diets.
J Nutr. 2004 Dec;134(12):3305-12. SOURCE CRC.gov
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2008 ZHION DO NOT COPY THIS ARTICLE TO OTHER BLOG(S) OR
WEBSITE(S).
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FORMS OF PUBLICATIONS. Privacy Policy. ARTICLE INDEX
PHYTONUTRIENTS AND DRUG PRODUCTS. THIS WEBSITE ALSO TALKS ABOUT SOME POPULAR HEALTH ISSUES AND DISEASES.
ARTICLES IN THIS WEB SITE IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION, YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH YOUR
DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2008. DO NOT COPY NOR TRANSFER ARTICLES TO OTHER WEBSITES NOR OTHER
FORMS OF PUBLICATIONS. Privacy Policy. ARTICLE INDEX
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