Peas Protection Against Stomach Cancer

Given their exceptionally strong nutrient composition, we've been surprised at the relatively small amount of research specifically focused on green peas as a health-supporting food. Green peas have been largely overlooked in research studies on legumes, which have tended to concentrate only on beans. In studies where the health benefits of green peas have been directly examined, it's usually been in their dried versus fresh form. These research trends are ones that we would really like to see reversed! Due to the lack of wide-scale health research on green peas, many of the connections that we would expect to see need further research substantiation. Despite the lack of studies directly linking green pea intake to improved health, we believe that the outstanding nutrient composition of green peas will eventually be shown to have far-reaching health benefits, extending well beyond the ones presented in this Health Benefits section.

Excessive inflammation and oxidative stress are risk factors not only for the development of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, but also for the development of cancers. A recent research study has begun to examine the benefits of green peas with respect to one particular type of cancer—stomach cancer. Stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) is a disease that occurs more commonly in persons who have very low intake of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, including key nutrients called polyphenols. A recent study based in Mexico City has shown that daily consumption of green peas along with other legumes is associated with decreased risk of stomach cancer. In particular, decreased risk of stomach cancer in this study was associated with average daily intake of a polyphenol called coumestrol at a level of 2 milligrams or higher. Pulses (including green peas) were determined to be a key food contributor to coumestrol in this Mexico-based study. Since one cup of green peas contains at least 10 milligrams of coumestrol, green peas are very likely to provide some unique health benefits in this cancer-prevention area. Of course, coumestrol is not the only cancer-protective nutrient present in green peas! The wide variety of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in green peas is very likely to play a primary role in the cancer-preventive benefits of this food.

Order Gardens for growing Peas: