A new study has revealed surprising benefits of chickpeas.
A research from Illinois Institute of Technology revealed that chickpeas are very effective at lowering cholesterol levels, which can help improve heart health.
In a three-month study, researchers worked with people who had pre-diabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet diabetes.
They divided the people into three groups in which one group ate one cup of black beans everday, the second group ate chickpeas daily while the third group used for camparison cooked and ate white rice.
After only 12 weeks, researchers saw clear changes in the health of the participants.
Those who ate black beans everyday had lower levels of inflammation while on the other hand, those who ate chickpeas everyday showed a major improvement in their cholesterol levels.
Their average total cholesterol dropped from around 200 mg/dL to 186 mg/dL, which is considered a safer level for the heart.
Lead researcher Indika Edirisinghe told Business Insider that chickpeas "contains protein, it contains lipid, it contains fiber, vitamins, minerals. Somebody can synthesize artificial bean by adding all the nutrients, but I don't think you're going to get the same effect."
Chickpeas can be used in several ways while cooking, as you can grind or blend them and mix into other foods, roast them to make them crispy, add them to soups or stir them into sauces.
