Health risks and benefits of eating chickpeas
What it found
Chickpeas contain compounds that may block nutrient absorption or trigger allergies in sensitive people.
They also hold substances linked to lower rates of several diseases.
What they found
Studies in people
Compounds that block nutrients
Chickpeas hold natural substances like phytic acid, lectins, and certain proteins that can make it harder for the body to use nutrients. These include protease inhibitors, oligosaccharides, and some phenolic compounds.
Allergy risk
Eating large amounts of chickpeas has increased allergy problems in sensitive people. Chickpeas contain many different allergens.
Studies in people and animals
Disease-fighting compounds
Substances in chickpeas such as dietary fiber, resistant starch, unsaturated fats, saponins, sterols, carotenoids, and isoflavones have shown promise. Research links them to fewer complications from various human diseases.
Other findings
Ways to lower risks
The authors describe simple methods that look promising for reducing the risks tied to eating chickpeas.
What the authors conclude
- They note that chickpeas carry both health risks and benefits that need attention.
- Their work highlights simple preparation methods that may help reduce the harmful effects of natural compounds in chickpeas.
- The authors aim to close gaps in current knowledge about how chickpeas affect human health.
How it was done
Chickpeas are widely eaten around the Mediterranean and Western world, but worries about allergic reactions and natural toxins have grown. Researchers wanted to gather what is known about both the risks and the benefits of eating them.
The authors gathered and examined existing research on chickpeas. They looked at both the harmful compounds and the helpful ones found in this food. They also reviewed simple ways to reduce any risks from eating chickpeas.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work gathers past studies rather than testing a new treatment, so it cannot prove cause and effect on its own.
- Some findings come from lab tests or animals, which do not always match what happens when people eat chickpeas.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), India; Integral University, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), India
The paper
- Title
- Health Risks and Benefits of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) Consumption
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Gupta RK, Gupta K, Sharma A, Das M, Ansari IA, Dwivedi PD (2017). Health Risks and Benefits of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) Consumption. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b02629PubMed 27779388DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error