Health Benefits of Green Peas

There are more to green peas than most people know. Green peas include varieties with edible pods, such as snow peas. All varieties are sweet and delicious, and boast more protein than most vegetables. It's no wonder green peas are a part of many wonderful vegetable recipes. In this article, we'll talk about growing green peas, selecting and serving green peas, and the health benefits of green peas.

Starchy, and sweet green peas or garden peas are one of the ancient cultivated vegetables grown for their succulent nutritious green-pods. Peas are probably originated in the sub-Himalayan plains of north-west India. Now, this versatile legume is one of the major commercial crops grown all over the temperate and semi-tropical regions.

Green peas are winter crops. Fresh peas are readily sold from December until April in the market. However, dry, mature seeds, and split peas, flour...etc., are made available in the markets all around the year.

While shopping for green peas look for fresh pods that are full, heavy in hands and brimming with seeds. Avoid those with wrinkled surface or over-matured, yellow colored pods.

Green-peas are at their best soon after their harvest since much of sugar content in the seeds rapidly converts to starch. If you have to store at all, place them in the vegetable compartment inside the home refrigerator, set with high relative humidity where they keep fresh for 2-3 days. Frozen seeds can be used for several months.

§         Fresh pea pods are excellent source of folic acid. 100 g provides 65 µg or 16% of recommended daily levels of folates. Folates are B-complex vitamins required for DNA synthesis inside the cell. Well established research studies suggest that adequate folate rich foods in expectant mothers would help prevent neural tube defects in the newborn babies.

§         Fresh green peas are very good in ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Contain 40 mg/100 g or 67% of daily requirement of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful natural water-soluble anti-oxidant. Vegetables rich in this vitamin helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.

§         Peas contain phytosterols especially ß-sitosterol. Studies suggest that vegetables like legumes, fruits and cereals rich in plant sterols help lower cholesterol levels in the body.

§         Garden peas are also good in vitamin K. 100 g of fresh leaves contains about 24.8 µg or about 21% of daily requirement of vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone). Vitamin K has found to have a potential role in bone mass building function by promoting osteo-trophic activity in the bone. It also has established role in Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

§         Fresh green peas also contain adequate amounts of anti-oxidants flavonoids such as carotenes, lutein and zea-xanthin as well as vitamin-A (provide 765 IU or 25.5% of RDA per 100 g). Vitamin A is an essential nutrient required for maintaining health of mucus membranes, skin and eye-sight. Further, consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.