Hummus health benefits and nutrition facts
The key to being an iconic dish is simplicity, taste and health benefits. Hummus fulfils all. This Middle Eastern spread is a very popular dish liked by people all around the world. Today, every restaurant in every corner of the world serves hummus. With the advent of clean, plant-based eating, it's really enjoying its time under the sun. Let’s look into the highly nutritious and loved spread!
What is Hummus?
Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip, spread, or savoury dish prepared from cooked or boiled, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini (paste of sesame seeds), lemon juice, and garlic. The word hummus comes from Arabic.
Hummus bin tahina, a dish resembling the modern world known hummus is recorded in cookbooks written in Cario in the 13th century. This is the earliest known written recipe for hummus. In 2008, Lebanon and Israel started arguing over who is the true originator of the hummus dish. This war, aka the "Hummus" War, is the reason why the specific origin of hummus is unknown.
It is usually made by blending chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor. It is widely produced commercially but is incredibly easy to make at home. Just blend the correct amount of all ingredients and perfect hummus will be created. Vegans love this spread dearly as it is a good source of protein and is fully plant-based.
Traditionally, the standard garnish for hummus in the Middle East is olive oil, a few whole chickpeas, parsley, and paprika. Hummus is usually eaten with pita bread or falafel but with the rise of its popularity, it is used as a filling or spread in sandwiches, snacked on with crackers, make a salad more flavourful or even put on a pizza. The scope is immense.
The very versatile hummus can be tweaked by adding nutritious ingredients like beets, peppers, cabbage, turmeric, parsley and basil. Peri-peri hummus, cheesy hummus, chipotle Hummus, and Roasted Pepper Hummus, are some types. Homemade ones are often the best since commercially processing hummus can change its nutritional profile.
Hummus nutrition
100 grams of Hummus contains the following nutrients:
Nutrients
| Measure
|
Calories
| 166
|
Protein
| 8 g
|
Total Fat
| 10 g
|
Total Carbohydrate
| 14 g
|
Sodium
| 379 mg
|
Potassium
| 228 mg
|
Iron
| 13%
|
Vitamin B6
| 10%
|
Magnesium
| 17%
|
Calcium
| 3%
|
Hummus health benefits
Hummus offers many health benefits, especially since it is unprocessed, unlike store-bought dips.
Hummus contains iron, folate, phosphorus and B vitamins, all of which are very important for vegetarians and vegans as their diet does not include any sort of meat.
It is gluten-, nut- and dairy-free, as it is made out of chickpeas and sesame seeds, which means it perfectly suits people who are affected by the intolerances and it is healthier as well. Following is how Hummus help health if added to a daily diet.
• Rich in protein
• Controls blood sugar levels
• Helps fight inflammation
• High in fibre
• Plant-based
• Dairy-free
• Gluten-free
• Nut-free
• Good gut bacteria source
• Promotes digestive health
• Reduce heart disease risk
• Promotes weight loss
• Controls appetite
Fights Inflammation: Sesame seeds and chickpea, which are essential for the hummus recipe, decrease inflammation in the body. If the oil of choice in hummus is olive oil, then the hummus would contain more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
Weight and Appetite Control: Hummus is high in fibre which prevents overeating by balancing blood sugar levels and fighting cravings. Due to the high protein and nutrient profile, it helps in weight loss.
Betters Digestive System: Dietary fibre helps soften and add bulk to stools so that they are easier to pass. This helps the digestive system to function more efficiently. Hummus helps the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as bifidobacteria, while suppressing the growth of harmful bacteria.
Control Blood Sugar Levels: Garbanzo beans or chickpeas have a low glycemic index. This glycemic index is a scale that measures the ability of food items to raise blood sugar levels. Hummus, due to its low GI value, slowly digests and is then absorbed, causing a slower and more balanced rise and fall in blood sugar levels.
References:
1. Reister, E. J., Belote, L. N., & Leidy, H. J. (2020). The Benefits of Including Hummus and Hummus Ingredients into the American Diet to Promote Diet Quality and Health: A Comprehensive Review. Nutrients, 12(12), 3678. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123678
2. Wallace, Taylor C et al. “The Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Hummus.” Nutrients vol. 8,12 766. 29 Nov. 2016, doi:10.3390/nu8120766
3. US Department of Agriculture
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