Did you know that peas are a good source of
vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, thiamine (B1), iron and phosphorus? They are rich
in protein, carbohydrate and fiber and low in fat which is mostly of the
unsaturated kind. Half a cup of frozen peas has only 5% of the daily value for
sodium. Foods low in sodium are good for your heart. An 85 gram serving of
peas, cooked, provides 50 calories, 4 grams of protein, 8 grams of carbohydrate
(of which 3.5 grams are sugars), 3.8 grams of fibre, 17mg of vitamin C (28% of
the recommended daily allowance) and 0.2mg Thiamine (B1) (15% of the
recommended daily allowance).
Thiamine or B1 plays an important role in
regulating the metabolism of carbohydrates in the body. Thiamine is also
necessary for the growth and maintenance of healthy skin. The cells of the
nervous system are extremely sensitive to carbohydrate metabolism. This may be
why the brain and the nerves are the first to show thiamine deficiency.
Thiamine is needed as a catalyst for the metabolism of carbohydrates so it
should come as no surprise that the more carbohydrates we eat the more thiamine
we need.
There
was a preliminary study that indicates thiamin levels drop significantly after
surgery, during a fever, over active muscular activity and during physical and
emotional stress. Some of the symptoms of thiamin deficiency include loss of
memory, nervous disorder, leg cramping, fatigue and irritability.
Fortunately,
many foods including organ meats, soybeans, wholes grains, brown rice, egg
yolks and peas supply us with thiamin. In our over active and over stressed
world getting adequate nutrition is essential. So pass the peas please.
Freshly
frozen garden peas and petits pois
are frozen within just two and a half-hours of being picked. This locks in all
the nutrients, which can be lost at room temperature. Peas are just about the
most versatile vegetable in the world. They taste great in risotto, omelets,
pizzas, pastas, soups, salads, casseroles and curries.
The
UK grows the largest supply of the world’s peas. However, peas are widely used
in just about every culture and in many native dishes to many different
countries including all of Europe, India, Asia and the Americas.
Here’s
some pea facts for you: A monk by the name of Gregor Johann
Mendel (1822-1884), worked with peas to lay the foundation for modern day
genetics. A 16th century
treatise of the art of love says that peas boiled with onions and a dash of
cinnamon is an aphrodisiac. Birds Eye frozen peas advertisement was the first
color add on TV. If you threaded every frozen pea produced each year in
the UK onto a piece of string you would need 3,900,000 kms of string, which
would stretch from the earth to the moon and back more than five times And did you know that there is an etiquette to eating peas? The
British love their peas but eating them properly is a must. Most people shovel
or spear peas; the Brits smash them on the back of their forks and eat them. So
smash away and enjoy these little green pills of natural health.
Doctor Lynn
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