Peas and your Health

Peas are rich in protein and minerals, peas are the vegetable equivalent of liver--without the fat and cholesterol.

A 5-ounce serving of fresh peas gives you a good dose of iron as well as 100 percent of the RDA for thiamin (vitamin B1)--even more than you get from thiamin-rich liver.
That's significant because thiamin is often shortchanged in the American diet. The elderly, people under stress, and heavy drinkers are especially liable to have borderline thiamin levels; deficiency can lead to depression, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, and memory problems. Studies indicate that people who ingest higher levels of B1 improve in all these areas.

Chlorophyllin, the pigment that makes peas green, does double duty as a cancer preventer. It latches on to cancer-causing free radicals and helps shepherd them out of the body before they can do any cellular damage.

Peas provide more than 4 grams of soluble fiber per half-cup serving. Pea fiber is powerful stuff: studies show that it helps reduce levels of triglycerides, a factor in heart disease. It also helps reduce cholesterol, especially the dangerous LDL cholesterol that can lead to arteriosclerosis.

Another benefit: the fiber in peas slows down digestion and stabilizes blood sugar levels, which is particularly helpful to diabetics.

Garden peas have more thiamin than sugar snap peas or snow peas. All three are good sources of iron and fiber.

Frozen peas retain a high level of nutrients--canned peas don't. Steam rather than boil peas to retain the most nutrients.

Many people think that if certain foods are good, a lot is better.
This is not always the case, and high doses of certain food are actually toxic.

Read about the healthy food, research the vitamins and minerals and check with your health care provider if you are unsure about how much to eat and how much may be too much.