Black-eyed peas are highly nutritious and offer many health benefits, including weight loss, heart health, and digestive health.
Black-eyed peas, also known as cowpeas, are a common legume cultivated around the globe.
Despite their name, black-eyed peas are not peas but rather a type of bean.
They’re generally very pale and feature a large black, brown, or red spot resembling an eye.
Black-eyed peas have a strong, savory flavor and are often considered a staple in both Indian and traditional Southern cuisine.
This article reviews the nutrition facts, benefits, and uses of black-eyed peas.
Black-eyed peas are incredibly nutrient-dense, packing plenty of fiber and protein into each serving.
They’re also a good source of several important micronutrients, including folate, copper, thiamine, and iron.
- Calories: 198
- Protein: 13 grams
- Fat: 0.9 grams
- Carbs: 36 grams
- Fiber: 11 grams
- Folate: 89% of the
Daily Value (DV) - Copper: 51% of the DV
- Thiamin: 29% of the DV
- Iron: 24% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 21% of the DV
- Magnesium: 22% of the DV
- Zinc: 20% of the DV
- Potassium: 10% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 10% of the DV
- Selenium: 8% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 7% of the DV
In addition to the nutrients listed above, black-eyed peas are high in polyphenols, which are compounds that act as antioxidants in the body to prevent cell damage and protect against disease.
Black-eyed peas have been associated with a number of powerful health benefits.
Support weight loss
Due to their protein and soluble fiber content, black-eyed peas are a great way to support weight loss.
Protein, in particular,
Meanwhile, soluble fiber is a type of fiber that forms a gel-like consistency and moves through your digestive tract slowly to help keep you feeling full between meals.
A review of 23 studies reported that common beans, such as kidney beans and pinto beans, reduced LDL cholesterol by 19 percent, risk of cardiovascular disease by 11 percent, and coronary heart disease by 22 percent.
A 2023 study found that American adults who consume legumes, including black-eyed peas, in their diets have significantly less 10-year weight gain than their counterparts, as well as lower body mass indices (BMI) and leaner waists. Eating legumes is associated with successful weight control in adults.
Promote digestive health
Black-eyed peas are a great source of soluble fiber, a key nutrient for digestive health.
In fact, studies show that increasing your intake of soluble fiber can help improve your gut health and reduce your dependence on laxatives in those with constipation.
Other research indicates that fiber could help prevent constipation, lower the risk of colorectal cancer, and improve gut bacteria to reduce inflammation.
The soluble fiber found in black-eyed peas and other plants can also act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of the beneficial bacteria in your gut to help foster a healthy microbiome.
These beneficial bacteria not only support digestive health but also have been shown to reduce inflammation, enhance immune function, and lower cardiovascular risks.
Enhance heart health
Enjoying black-eyed peas as part of a balanced diet is an excellent way to help keep your heart healthy and strong, as they may help reduce several risk factors for heart disease.
In
An older study in 42 women showed that following a low calorie diet enriched with 1 cup of legumes per day for 6 weeks significantly reduced waist circumference, triglyceride, and blood pressure levels, compared with a control group.
Regularly eating legumes has also been
Besides being healthy and delicious, black-eyed peas are highly versatile and easy to enjoy in a variety of recipes.
If using dry beans, be sure to soak them in water for at least 6 hours. This will help speed the cooking time and make them easier to digest.
Note that dried black-eyed peas differ from other dried beans in that prolonged or overnight soaking in cold water is not required, but the cooking time can still be reduced if they are soaked for 1–2 hours in hot water.
Then, cover them in water or broth, bring them to a boil, reduce the heat, and let the beans simmer for 45 minutes, or until tender.
In traditional Southern cuisine, the cooked beans are mixed with meat, spices, and leafy greens.
However, they also make a great addition to soups, stews, and salads.
For some people, black-eyed peas may cause stomach pain, gas, and bloating due to their content of raffinose, a complex sugar that can be difficult to digest.
Soaking and cooking dried beans can reduce the raffinose content and make them much easier to digest.
Tablets and pills that can help prevent gas and reduce symptoms are also widely available at pharmacies and supermarkets.
Black-eyed peas also contain antinutrients, such as phytic acid, which bind to minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium and prevent their absorption in the body.
Fortunately, soaking and cooking black-eyed peas prior to consumption can significantly reduce their phytic acid content and help boost nutrient absorption.
Black-eyed peas are highly nutritious and associated with many impressive health benefits.
In particular, they may help support weight loss, improve heart health, and promote digestive health.
They’re also versatile, delicious, and easy to incorporate into a number of recipes as part of a healthy diet.