Chickpea
Cicer arietinum
Other names: chickpea, Bengal gram, garbanzo, chana, نخود
Edible plantPhoto credit: Prathyush Thomas / Wikimedia Commons
Safety information
Safety information
Toxicity: Cooked: none known. Dry pulses contain anti-nutrients (phytates, lectins, trypsin/protease inhibitors, raffinose-family oligosaccharides) reduced by soaking/cooking; raw/undercooked intake causes GI upset and impaired mineral absorption. (Lathyrism is associated with Lathyrus sativus grass pea — NOT chickpea.)
Contraindications: Cook adequately; avoid raw. Favism caution applies to fava beans, not chickpea. Gout/high-purine diets: moderate-purine (generally acceptable). High potassium relevant to potassium-restricted renal diets.
Interactions: None well established. Fiber may modestly slow absorption of co-ingested drugs/minerals; space iron/zinc supplements if needed.
Evidence level
Supported by clinical trials in humans.
Preparations
cooked · seed
Part used: seed
Traditional use: staple pulse / dietary protein
Proposed mechanism: pulse fiber + resistant starch (glycemic, lipid, prebiotic)
Dosage note (descriptive only): cook adequately; avoid raw
Associated conditions
Edibility
Edible parts: seeds (cooked); sprouts cooked; flour (besan)
Toxic lookalike warning
Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) seeds (neurolathyrism risk on heavy chronic intake) and toxic ornamental legume seeds; eat only identified culinary pulses
Nutritional notes
High plant protein (superior quality among pulses, deficient only in sulfur amino acids), dietary fiber, complex carbohydrate, folate, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, potassium; low glycemic index. Prebiotic resistant starch / fermentable fiber.
Healing traditions
Sources (4)
- Comprehensive review of chickpea (Cicer arietinum): Nutritional significance, health benefits, food applications (Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Saf., 2025)
- Nutritional composition, health benefits and bioactive compounds of chickpea (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2023)
- Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea: a review (British Journal of Nutrition)
- Prebiotic Potential of Dietary Beans and Pulses and Their Resistant Starch (2022)