The chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a legumeof the family Fabaceae, subfamily Fabiodeae . Its seeds are high in Protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes: 7,500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East.
Other common names for the species include garbanzo bean, ceci bean, sanagalu, chana and Bengal gram.
Bengal gram reduces diabetes risk, finds study:
Consumption of Bengal gram prior to a meal could lower your risk of diabetes, according to a new study.
A team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) compared the effectiveness of three commonly consumed legumes - Bengal gram, green gram and another variant of chickpea, Kabuli Channa in regulating carbohydrate digestion.
The study found that Bengal gram showed consistent results in terms of reducing sugar spikes after a starchy meal. Eating about 50 grams of sprouted raw Bengal gram before a meal will rein in blood glucose levels which usually witness a jump due to the rapid absorption of carbohydrates after a meal, the study headed by scientist A K Tiwari, concluded.
Tiwari said the study was aimed at finding the varieties of sprouts which are most beneficial for improving the health of diabetics. "The benefits of sprouts are well-known. But our study specifically shows how diabetics can prevent sugar spikes to delay the onset or in some cases, even prevent the disease," he said.
Tiwari highlighted the importance of high amount of protein and presence of digestion-resistant carbohydrate in Bengal gram.
" A protein-rich diet takes longer to be absorbed by our system. The presence of digestion-resistant carbohydrates further reduces the rate of absorption of carbohydrates into our bloodstream," he said adding that the Bengal Gram should ideally be consumed raw after germination.
Tiwari conducted similar studies in the past.
The findings of the latest study were published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Bio-Allied Sciences.
Source: Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT)
