chawli benefits. cow pea benefits. Cowpeas are beans that are creamy white in colour and have a black mark on their inner curve and therefore they are also called Black-eyed beans. The skin of black-eyed beans is quite thick. It has a subtle, nutty aroma and a rich creamy taste that is slightly earthy. Cowpeas are called Chawli in Hindi. It is a subspecies of the cowpea, grown for its medium-sized edible bean, which has a unique natural taste that is nice even without spices!
1. Rich in Folate, Vitamin B9 :
One cup of cooked Chawli has 107% of your daily folate requirements. Folate or Vitamin B9 helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Great source of Folic Acid for pregnant women and those who want to conceive must start having folate rich foods even while they are planning to conceive. Folic acid deficiency in pregnancy can cause neural tube defects in the growing baby. Optimum folate levels need to be maintained before and during pregnancy. (1)
2. High Fibre :
Chawli is high in Fibre and 1 cup of cooked Cowpeas provides 50% of your daily Fibre requirements. Fibre results in your stomach feeling a lot fuller than refined carbs. When you feel full, it will prevent you from eating the wrong foods. Imagine eating a candy and you just want to have more and more of it. That’s because there is only sugar in it and no fibre. So pick foods with high fibre.
3. Rich in Magnesium :
One cup of cooked cow peas has 48% of your daily Magnesium requirements. Magnesium helps in formation of bones and teeth and metabolism of calcium and potassium. Magnesium helps in the breakdown of carbohydrates and hence regulate blood sugar levels helping Diabetics. (2) Low dietary magnesium intake has been associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension (3)
4. Zinc Rich :
Chawli benefits in building immunity, is good for skin, great Antioxidant and involved in energy metabolism and hormone production including testosterone in males and female sex hormones involved in releasing of egg from the ovaries. Zinc is a component of the more than 300 enzymes. It is the active in metabolism of glusides and proteins. It is required for the synthesis of insulin by pancreas and for the immunity function. Zinc is present in small amount in all tissues. (4)
5. Provides 34% of Iron (Fe) Requirements :
Iron is an important nutrient for our body and for our health. It helps our cells "breathe". Iron (“haeme”) works with protein (“globin”) to make the “haemoglobin” in red blood cells. The haemoglobin carries oxygen to all parts of the body so it can perform its normal functions. Anemia is a condition that can be caused by iron deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia can be cured by a high iron diet. It is good to be consumed by pregnant ladies and growing young girls because their daily requirements of Iron are higher than others (5)
6. Rich in Vitamin B1, Thiamine :
Vitamin B1, thiamin or thiamine is essential for glucose metabolism. Vitamin B1 also maintains proper nerve, muscle and heart function. Thiamine also plays a role in immune system activation. (6)
7. Potassium (K) Rich :
Get about 20% of your potassium requirements from 1 cup of Chawli. Potassium controls blood pressure and sustain cardiac health and helps break down carbs. Potassium is also involved in maintaining the fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.
8. Cowpeas Benefits in Heart Conditions :
Being rich in Thiamine, it helps maintain proper heart function. As it contains lots of fibre, it decreases LDL (Bad) cholesterol and reduces the risk of the development of coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases. (7)
9. Lowers Blood Pressure :
Chawli benefits in high blood pressure as it is rich in the mineral Potassium which controls blood pressure and sustain cardiac health and helps break down carbs. The result is a lower risk of heart diseases. Also being rich in soluble fibre will help regulate blood sugar.
10. Relieves Insomnia :
Chawli has good amounts of Tryptophan which makes you relaxed, sleepy and calm and reduces stress levels. Ensure you have enough Vitamin B6 as it is crucial for Tryptophan formation. Experimental research suggests that L-tryptophan’s role in brain serotonin synthesis is an important factor involved in mood, behavior, and cognition. (8)
11. Cowpeas Benefits for Diabetics :
Chawli has a Glycemic Index of 38 which is low. Glycemic Index are for foods you eat, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and raise your blood sugar or glucose levels. Foods rank from 0 to 50 are low GI, 51 to 69 are medium and 70 to 100 are high. Foods that are high in GI are not suitable for weight loss and diabetics. Foods like Chawli have a low GI and hence don't spike your glucose level as they are absorbed slowly. High fibre also blunts the glucose response.
12. Good for Bones :
Chawli is an excellent source of Phosphorus and other bone building and maintaining minerals like Magnesium, Zinc, Iron. It also gives some amount of calcium. These minerals along with protein work together for normal bone metabolism. (9)
Nutritional Information of Chawli (Black Eyed Beans, Cow Peas)
One cup of cooked Chawli (Black Eyed Beans, Cow Peas) is approx. 180 grams which comes from 80 grams of raw chawli.
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.
Nutritional Information for 1 cup Chawli given below.
258 Calories
19.28 grams of Protein
43.2 grams of Carbohydrates
0.47 grams of Fat
107 mcg Folate, Vitamin B9 (FA) = 107% of RDA (about 100 mcg)
331.2 mg of Phosphorus (P) = 55.20% of RDA (about 600 mg)
12.7 grams of High Fiber = 50% of RDA (about 25 to 30 grams)
168 mg of Magnesium (Mg) = 48%% of RDA (about 350 mg)
3.68 mg of Zinc (Zn) = 36.8% of RDA (about 10 to 12 mg)
6.8 mg of Iron (Fe) = 34% of RDA (about 20 mg)
0.41 mg of Vitamin B1, Thiamine : 34% of RDA (about 1.2 to 1.5 mg)
904 mg of Potassium (K) : 19.25% of RDA (about 4,700 mg)
0.16 mg of Vitamin B2, Riboflavin = 14.54% of RDA (about 1.1 mg)
0.20 mg of Vitamin B6, Pyridoxine = 10.0% of RDA (about 2 mg)
1.04 mg of Vitamin B3, Niacin = 8.66% of RDA (about 12 mg)
61.6 mg of Calcium (Ca) = 6.1% of RDA (about 1000 mg)
0.52 mg Vitamin E = 2.60% of RDA (about 20 mg)
28.25 mcg of Vitamin K = 1.13% of RDA (about 120 mcg)
18.56 mg of Sodium (Na) = 0.97% of RDA (about 1902 mg)
Healthy Chawli Recipes
Chawli Paneer and Veg Healthy Lunch Salad can be a perfect meal because it is rich in Protein, Fibre, Vitamin A, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Vitamin C, Folate, Calcium, Iron and Magnesium, So much cowpeas benefits in one salad! Sip on this hot and unique Chawli and Beetroot Soup on a cold and cloudy evening.
Try this quick Chawli and Sprouted Moong Salad a low calorie yet satiating salad to keep your weight in control. Who knew we could make dhoklas using chawli? Methi Palak Chawli Dhokla is a healthy nutritious dhokla that is tasty too.
Love South Indian Dishes? Then you would definitely love Pumpkin and Chawli Errissery. Give a boost of antioxidants to your body with Chatpata Chawli and Fruit Salad
Happy Cooking!!!