Nutritional value and characteristics of peas

We often eat peas, so what nutritional value do peas have, and what characteristics do peas have? Today I will give you a detailed introduction:

1. Protein content and composition of dry peas

Albumin, globulin and glutenin account for 21%, 66% and 2% of pea protein respectively. In the amino acid composition of pea protein, although the content of sulfur-containing amino acids is higher than that in other edible beans, it is still the first limiting amino acid (Table 3-2). There are relatively more sulfur-containing amino acids in pea albumin, including more tryptophan, lysine, threonine and methionine. However, the content of arginine, leucine and phenylalanine is less than that in globulin.

It is reported that the biological value (BV) of pea protein is 48%-64%, and the red bean efficacy ratio (PER) is 0.6-1.2, which is higher than soybeans but lower than corn, rice, wheat and peanuts (Table 3-3). The reason why the nutritional value of pea protein cannot be fully utilized is that it has poor digestibility, lacks sulfur-containing amino acids, and contains anti-nutritional substances. The lack of sulfur-containing amino acids is the main reason for the low biological value of pea protein. Adding methionine to pea food will significantly increase the biological value of its protein. Experiments have shown that albumin in pea protein is the most nutritious compared to globulin and gluten, also because the level of sulfur-containing amino acids is relatively high. Pea protein contains a lot of lysine, which is a good raw material for extracting lysine.

2. Starch, crude fiber and fat in dry peas

Pea seeds contain about 60% carbohydrates, including starch, sugars and crude fiber, and about 2% fat.

The sucrose content in round dry peas is about 2.4%, accounting for 22%-25% of the total sugar content in the seeds. The sugar content in wrinkled peas is higher than that in round peas (smooth seed coat) (Table 3-4). Dry pea seeds contain about 24%-49% starch, with wrinkled peas containing less starch and round peas containing more starch. Generally speaking, the starch in wrinkled peas is mainly amylose, while the starch in round peas is mainly amylopectin. The diameter of pea starch is generally around 40-5 μm.

Wrinkled peas contain more hemicellulose, while round peas contain less. The crude fiber of peas is mainly concentrated in the seed coat, which accounts for about 8.22% of the weight of the seed, and contains 55.2% of the cellulose and 23.1% of the hemicellulose in the whole seed. Crude fiber cannot be digested by the human stomach and intestines, so it is considered the least important component in the diet. The cellulose in it is the most difficult to digest and will also affect the utilization of other nutrients, especially protein. However, in the diet of developed Western countries, the importance of dietary fiber has been recognized in recent years because it can stimulate gastrointestinal motility.

Wrinkled peas contain more hemicellulose, while round peas contain less. The crude fiber of peas is mainly concentrated in the seed coat, which accounts for about 8.22% of the weight of the seed, and contains 55.2% of the cellulose and 23.1% of the hemicellulose in the whole seed. Crude fiber cannot be digested by the human stomach and intestines, so it is considered the least important component in the diet. The cellulose in it is the most difficult to digest and will also affect the utilization of other nutrients, especially protein. However, in the diet of developed Western countries, the importance of dietary fiber has been recognized in recent years because it can stimulate gastrointestinal motility.

According to the measurement, the fat content in pea seeds is 1.1%-2.8%, most of which exists in the form of oil. The fat content in the seed coat of mung bean rice is very low, and the fat contained in the cotyledon accounts for about 90% of the fat content of the whole seed; the fat content in the embryo is very high, but because of its extremely small portion, the proportion is limited. Higher fat content is often associated with wrinkled grain characteristics. Studies have shown that 60% of the fatty acid content in pea seeds is unsaturated fatty acids.