Chana benefits

It is impossible for anyone to find an Indian household that is not stocked with any type of chana. In addition to being an important ingredient in most Indian dishes such as Vada and dal, it is also used to prepare many kinds of masalas.

They pair quite well with a wide range of foods and certain ingredients due to their nutty flavor and grainy texture.

The high volume of vitamin, mineral, and fibre content of chana may have several health benefits, including improving your digestive condition, lowering certain disease risks, and aiding in proper weight management.

Furthermore, this legume is so rich in protein, making it an excellent choice for vegetarian or vegan alternatives to meat.

Calories Richness in Chana

Now the question arises: how many calories does 1 cup of cooked chana have?

Chana being rich in high energy content is used in every other household and is also the major inclusion of everybody's kitchen. One cup of cooked chana provides about 200-220 calories and approximately 12 grams of pure protein. Some other studies pointed out that around 100 grams of properly cooked and drained chickpeas provide around 140-160 calories which are sufficient to keep your day bright from sunrise to sunset.

Types of chana and benefits

There are majorly two types of chickpeas or chana: desi and Kabuli. Desi chana contains smaller, hard and darker seeds and also has more of a kind of outer rough coating. While on the other hand, Kabuli chana is a larger, hard, and much lighter-coloured bean having more of a smoother coat

Chickpeas or chana come in a variety of colours like brown, green, red, and black, though the most famous and recognized colour is beige. They have a kind of buttery texture and a sharp nutty taste.

We have rounded up several health benefits of eating chana regularly which are explained scientifically below-:

8 Benefits of eating Chana

Chana is known as a powerhouse of vitamins, protein, fibre, essential minerals, and healthy fat that suits your heart health. It provides numerous health benefits such as a healthy heart, managing proper weight, etc. Other benefits of chana are:

1) Chana Controls Blood Sugar:

Chana usually contains complex carbohydrates, fibre, and also protein. It regulates the proper absorption of sugar in your body. According to a study of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it helps in decreasing blood sugar levels and, hence, helps in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

2) Chana May Promote a Healthy Brain:

It’s rich in many essential nutrients, so chana may support healthy brain function and proper mental health. Chana is also known to be a great source of choline, which plays a major role in the functioning of your brain.

3) Chana Aids in Weight Loss Journey:

Soaked chana is quite rich in protein and fibre content that promotes proper weight management. It may reduce the appetite by lowering the calorie intake. Properly roasted yellow chana helps in weight loss too by giving you a fuller stomach feeling for a longer time and thus helps in decreasing your meal consumption.

4) Chana Helps In Preventing Certain Chronic Diseases:

Soaked chana is also known to be a rich source of some important minerals like magnesium and potassium, which helps in preventing high blood pressure and reducing bad cholesterol levels effectively. Hence chana boosts your heart health. It also promotes the increased production of butyrate, a known fatty acid that reduces any kind of inflammation. Its antio-xidants content helps in lowering the risk of lung, colon, and breast cancer.

5) Improve hemoglobin levels:

Chana is rich in iron content and hence improves your hemoglobin status in the body. Soaked chana is highly recommended for those people who are suffering from anaemia disease and for pregnant and lactating women.

6) Chana Has Anti-ageing Effects:

The magnesium content in the chana helps in hydrating your skin and increases the production of collagen. This helps in reducing skin wrinkles, the production of free radicals, and other known ageing signs.

7) Chana gives you healthy and shiny hair:

Chana has a richness of vitamins A, B6, manganese, and zinc, which boosts the production of protein required for building up your hair. Thus it helps in keeping your hair follicles strong and intact and further prevents premature greying of your hair and reduces the amount of hair fall.

8) Chana Is A Rich Source of Protein and Energy:

Chana is a rich source of protein, especially for vegetarians who tried to find an alternative to meat. It fuels your body with high protein content and helps you to remain full for a longer period of time. Regular consumption of chana makes you feel strong from the inside out and prevents anybody from weakness.

Which Chana Is Good For Weight Gain?

Out of both types of chana which is the desi black chana and the Kabuli chana, black chana can help in gaining a healthy weight. Black chana is a great source of protein and fibre, which helps you to keep a feeling of fullness for a longer time period.

Additionally, black chana also contains complex carbs that provide a sustained amount of energy throughout the day. Plain, unseasoned chana or Kabuli chana are about the same for gaining healthy weight, regardless of the fact that whether they are canned or cooked dry. As we know that dried black chana absorbs a lot of water and helps in increasing weight and volume when cooked at low flame for a longer period of time. After cooking, dried black chana including soaked and boiled are much of protein content when supplemented with fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits.

Eating black chana on a regular basis can help you in increasing your calorie intake and promote a healthy weight gain journey.

Recipes To Follow For Weight Gain

Here is a boiled black chana chaat recipe with added masala flavour that may help you in gaining a healthy weight along with a great taste:

Ingredients:

200 gm black chickpeas
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes
20 grams of green chillies
Some Lemon juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
White and black salt according to taste
2 tsp of chaat masala
1 tsp of Kashmiri red chillies powder
1 fresh lemon
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation:

Take properly boiled chana in a big bowl.
Add freshly chopped onion, tomato, and chilli to it.
Sprinkle salt as per taste, chaat masala, chillies powder, and some black Salt to it and mix them properly.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice to the chaat and add the olive oil
Now mix all ingredients well.
Finally, add a few coriander leaves over it to add some garnishing.

Side Effects of Chana

There are numerous health and nutritional benefits that chana possesses. However, you should caution yourself in consuming it in a moderate quantity only. So you must be wondering how much roasted or boiled chana you eat daily to avoid any side effects.

The answer to this simple question is 50 grams per day. When it is roasted you can take it with jaggery while when boiled you can add chopped vegetables to it are enough to provide you with a richness of essential nutrients without causing any imbalance in your bodily functions.

However, you must avoid consuming chana if you:

Those who have problems of diarrhoea
Those who have bloating or some gastric issues
Those who have gout and high uric acid
Those who are suffering from kidney stones
Those who have severe legume allergy

You should immediately consult an experienced doctor if you feel any headaches, skin irritation, rashes, or coughs soon after consuming chana.

Conclusion

Chickpeas or chana are able to boost vitamins, fibre, minerals, and protein in your body which may support healthy weight management, controlling blood sugar levels and proper brain function while lowering the risk of certain chronic conditions like heart disease and cancer. To get started with chanas, try roasting them properly for a snack or adding them to your salad that contains fresh fruits and veggies.

FAQs

1. Is eating chana daily good?

Yes, there is no harm in having chana daily. As chana is one of the best, most nutritious, and healthiest breakfast options for people having conditions like diabetes and high blood sugar levels. But it is to be consumed in moderation or on alternate days for people having gastric issues as it comes hard on your digestive tract.

2. Which chana is healthy black or white?

The higher fibre content present in the desi variety of chana or kala chana possesses a lower glycemic index than that of white chana. The soluble fibre present in black chana binds the level of your bile acids and restricts it from being absorbed in your body, thus reducing your cholesterol levels.

3. Can I eat chana dailly?

Black chana when soaked is a good source of essential minerals like magnesium and potassium, which will help you in preventing high blood pressure levels and reduce the level of bad cholesterol, hence it will boost your heart health. Chana can be eaten on daily basis only in moderation like in salad as it is sometimes found to create some digestive issues.

References

The Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Hummus
The Role of Magnesium in Neurological Disorders