Chickpea

Studies in people

• Concern

  Allergy and nutrient absorption²

  Chickpeas contain natural compounds that can block nutrient use and trigger allergies in sensitive people.

• Benefit

  Iron levels in food⁴

  Adding iron to chickpea flour and split chickpeas raised the iron people could absorb from them.

• Open question

  Legume allergy research gaps⁶

  Chickpea allergy is studied for how common it is, but scientists still know little about its wider impact or food labels.

• Open question

  Protein in corn snacks⁷

  Adding chickpea to corn snacks raised protein and fiber, and taste testers liked it best at lower amounts.

• Open question

  Blood sugar after eating⁸

  In people, blood sugar rose more after the chickpea snack than after the meat snack.

• Benefit

  Artery health after eating⁹

  In people, pasta made partly with sprouted chickpea flour improved artery widening after eating, compared with semolina pasta.

• Open question

  Diet quality¹⁰

  People who ate chickpeas ate more fibre, fruit and veg, and less red meat.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Blood cholesterol levels¹⁶

  In one study on rats, chickpea helped control blood cholesterol levels.

• Open question

  Bacterial biofilm formation¹⁸

  In lab studies, chickpea fiber helped Bacillus subtilis bacteria form biofilms and make an antimicrobial pigment.

• Benefit

  Gut inflammation¹⁹

  In lab studies, fermented chickpea milk reduced an inflammation signal more than almond milk did.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Long-term disease risk¹¹

  Chickpea may help lower the risk of some long-term diseases, but scientists do not yet know for sure.

• Open question

  Plant-based food ingredients¹²

  Chickpea can be made into healthy ingredients for plant-based meat and dairy alternatives.

• Benefit

  Heart and blood sugar health¹⁴

  Chickpea peptides may help with heart health and blood sugar, but scientists do not yet know how they work.

• Concern

  Heavy metals in food¹⁵

  Chickpea, lentil and pea samples contained copper, iron, manganese, nickel and zinc, and the combined amounts may be a concern.

Allergies and intolerances

These are about people with an allergy, an intolerance or coeliac disease. The signal is about the ingredient itself, and these are about the person eating it, so the signal does not count them.

• Allergic reactions to legumes³

  In some people allergic to other legumes, chickpea has caused allergic reactions, sometimes during exercise.

• Allergic reactions to foods⁵

  Chickpea allergy may not happen on its own; it seems tied to pea or lentil allergy.

How it’s made and used

• Protein in food products¹³

  Chickpea protein is a good protein source, but it does not mix or gel well in foods.

• Starch digestion speed¹⁷

  In lab studies, chickpea starch broke down differently when stomach acid changed slowly instead of all at once.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.