Oriental Green Peas and the possible benefit of this winter crop.
Article Content:
- .Basic Botanical Data of Green Peas.
- .Green peas Description: Taxonomy, Morphology and Floral Biology.
- .History and Origin of Green peas.
- .Chemistry of Green peas:Phytochemical and constituents, Nutrients and Facts.
- .Uses and Traditional Medicinal Uses of Green peas.
- .Safety of Green Peas.
- .How to Select and Store Green Peas.
- .Tips for Preparing and Cooking Green Peas:A Few Quick Serving Ideas.
- .Research Update:Greean Pea or Pisum sativum L.
Uses and Traditional Medicinal Uses of Green peas.
Peas are cultivated for the fresh green seeds, tender green pods, dried seeds and foliage (Duke, 1981). Green peas are eaten cooked as a vegetable, and are marketed fresh, canned, or frozen while ripe dried peas are used whole, split, or made into flour (Davies et al., 1985).
In some parts of the world, dried peas are consumed split as dahl, roasted, parched or boiled. "Green peas are the number one processed vegetable specifically in UK and USA. Green foliage of garden pea is also used as vegetable in parts of Asia and Africa. Leaves are used as a pot herb in Burma and parts of Africa" (Kay, 1979).
Some cultivars are grown for their tender green pods, which are eaten cooked or raw. "Oil from ripened seed has antisex hormonic effects; produces sterility and antagonizes effect of male hormone" (Duke, 1981). "Based on protein digestibility of peas in broilers, it is reported that the natural protein of peas and faba bean is almost entirely digested in the small intestine and the impaired performance in literature was attributed to an increased secretion of endogenous protein" (Huisman and Van der Poil, 1994).
Pea is being used in a growing snack market. One snack item is prepared by soaking the peas overnight and frying them in palm oil or coating them with other food items such as rice flour before frying for the purpose of imparting different flavors. Another product is prepared by finely grinding the peas and extruding them under pressure to create different shapes. The different shapes are then fried, seasoned and packaged (Jambunathan et al., 1994). "Cultivars such as 'Alaska' 'Super Alaska,' 'Supergreen,' and 'Alaska Wilt Resistant have long been the standard type of canning pea.
Wrinkled-seeded garden peas are sweeter than smooth seeded types. Marrowfat is a large flattened pea type that is popular for making snack items and are also used for reconstitution and canning in the UK. Canning peas are divided into two classes: Alaska and sweet. Of the sweet type is 'Surprise' (most important) and 'Resistant Surprise' (gaining in popularity because of its disease resistance). Some midsummer varieties are: 'Pride,' 'Early Perfection,' 'Ace,' and 'Wasatch'. Late cultivars, which ripen about 14 days after 'Alaska,' are: 'Perfection' and its various strains, as 'Dark-green Perfection,' 'Bridget,' 'Superior,' 'New Era,' ?Pugeti and 'Shoshone.' New cultivars, too numerous to mention, have been entered into production in the US and other countries. Canning cultivars usually have a tough skin that holds its shape during canning. For home garden use, 'Little Marvel,' 'Laxton Progress,' 'World's Record,' 'Wando' holds quality well in hot weather" (Duke, 1981).
Traditional Medicinal Uses: "Seeds are thought to cause dysentery when eaten raw. In Spain, flour is considered emollient and resolvent, applied as a cataplasm. It has been reported that seeds contain trypsin and chymotrypsin which could be used for contraceptive, ecbolic. fungistatic and spermicide"(Duke, 1981). Smart (1990) reported that there are no significant amounts of toxicity or anti-metabolites in peas.
Health Benefits of Green Peas: Green peas are bursting with nutrients. They provide good to excellent amounts of 8 vitamins, 6 minerals, dietary fiber and protein. Green peas' supercharged nutritional profile can supercharge your health.
Helping You Bone Up:
Green peas provide nutrients that are important for maintaining bone health. They are an excellent source of vitamin K1, which activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone. Therefore, without enough vitamin K1, osteocalcin levels are inadequate and bone mineralization is impaired.
Green peas also serve as a very good source of vitamin B6 and folic acid. These two nutrients help to reduce the buildup of a metabolic byproduct called homocysteine, a dangerous molecule can obstruct collagen cross-linking, resulting in poor bone matrix and osteoporosis. One study showed that postmenopausal women who were not considered deficient in folic acid lowered their homocysteine levels simply by supplementing with folic acid by itself.
Help Your Heart by Passing the Peas:
In addition to affecting bone health, homocysteine contributes to atherosclerosis through its ability to damage the blood vessels, keeping them in a constant state of injury. Therefore the folic acid and vitamin B6 in green peas are supportive of cardiovascular health as well. In fact, folic acid is so important for cardiovascular function that a major 1995 study concluded that 400 micrograms per day of folic acid could prevent 28,000 cardiovascular deaths per year in the United States.
The contributions of green peas to heart health do not stop there. The vitamin K featured in green peas is instrumental to the body's healthy blood clotting ability.
Contributions to Energy and Overall Wellness:
Green peas are one of the important foods to include in your diet if you oftentimes feel fatigued and sluggish. That is because they provide nutrients that help support the energy-producing cells and systems of the body.
Green peas a very good source of thiamin-vitamin B1, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6 and a good source of riboflavin-vitamin B2 and niacin-vitamin B3, all of which are nutrients that are necessary for carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism. Pantothenic acid also plays an important role in fatigue since it supports the function of the adrenal glands, particularly in times of stress. Green peas are also a very good source of iron, a mineral necessary for normal blood cell formation and function, whose deficiency results in anemia, fatigue, decreased immune function, and learning problems. In addition, green peas are an excellent source of vitamin C, which protects many energy-producing cells and systems in the body from free radical damage. Body tissues with particularly high vitamin C requirements include the adrenal glands, ocular lens, liver, immune system, connective tissues, and fats circulating in the blood.
Peas Help Prevent Cancer: Green peas provide nutrients, including vitamin C, which are instrumental in helping to prevent the development of cancer. A high intake of vitamin C has been shown to reduce the risks for virtually all forms of cancer, including leukemia, lymphoma, and lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers as well as sex hormone-related cancers like breast, prostate, cervix, and ovarian cancers. Vitamin C is your body's first and most effective line of antioxidant protection. Vitamin C protects cell structures like DNA from damage; it helps the body deal with environmental pollution and toxic chemicals; it enhances immune function, and it inhibits the formation of cancer-causing compounds in the body (such as the nitrosamines, chemicals produced when the body digests processed meats containing nitrates).
Reference:
1.Oriental Green Peas and the possible benefit of this winter crop.
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