Peas grow in pods on a legume plant, but cooks treat them as a vegetable. A cup (160 g) of boiled green peas has 134 calories, 8.6 g of protein and 8.8 g of fiber, so protein supplies about 28% of the calories.
Peas rank eighth of 74 foods on this site for lutein and zeaxanthin, two yellow plant pigments, with 2,593 µg per 100 g. A cup also gives 35% of the Daily Value of vitamin K and 25% of vitamin C.
Gregor Mendel worked out the basic rules of inheritance by crossing garden peas. Research on peas as food looks different: most trials use dried yellow peas, pea flour, pea fiber or pea protein rather than frozen green peas, and each study below says which.
Health benefits of peas
The top findings from 16 studies, strongest evidence first
What the stars mean
- Strong. Several randomized trials, pooled in a meta-analysis, point the same way, or regulators (FDA or EFSA) have approved the claim.
- Moderate. Good randomized trials support it, but there are fewer of them, or their results vary.
- Limited. Small, short or single trials, or mixed results. Promising, but it needs confirmation.
Population and lab studies get no stars: they show a link or a mechanism, not proof.
How we rate evidence →- ★★No clear drop in LDL cholesterol from peasEating 120 g of a yellow and green pea mix a day for 6 weeks lowered LDL by 0.11 mmol/L, not a significant drop. The same amount of beans lowered it by 0.21 mmol/L.
- ★Lower blood sugar after meals with yellow peasA meal of 406 g of yellow peas lowered blood sugar for the two hours after eating. Boiled yellow peas gave about half the blood sugar response of white bread (112.3 against 218.1 mmol x min/L).
- ★Lower fasting insulin with whole pea flourIn 23 overweight adults, 50 g a day of whole yellow pea flour for 28 days lowered fasting insulin and insulin resistance. Fasting blood sugar and blood fats did not change.
- ★Fuller after bread made with pea flourBread made with 20% yellow split pea flour raised fullness by 18%, but did not change blood sugar or insulin. This was one meal, so it shows short-term appetite only.
- ★Slight weight loss with pea fiber15 g a day of yellow pea fiber for 12 weeks led to 0.87 kg of weight loss, where the placebo group gained 0.40 kg. This is a processed fiber, not whole peas.
All 16 studies, strongest evidence first
Eating 120 g of peas a day for 6 weeks did not significantly lower LDL cholesterol, while the same amount of beans did
Randomized single-blind trial in adults with mild high cholesterol (60 people per group, in two Canadian cities) comparing foods made with beans, a yellow and green pea mix, or white rice. LDL fell by 0.21 mmol/L with beans but 0.11 mmol/L with peas, which was not a significant drop. Triglycerides, glucose and blood pressure did not change. The peas were a yellow and green mix, so the result may not carry over to frozen green peas.
A meal of 406 g of yellow peas lowered blood sugar for the two hours after eating but did not change appetite or later food intake
Crossover trial in 15 men who ate yellow peas with tomato sauce, pea hull fiber, pea protein, both together, or a noodle control. At 30 minutes blood sugar was lower after the yellow peas and the protein plus fiber mix than after the control and fiber alone. Appetite and intake at a later pizza meal did not differ.
Boiled yellow peas gave about half the blood sugar response of white bread (112.3 against 218.1 mmol x min/L)
Single-blind crossover trial of foods made with whole yellow pea flour, compared with whole wheat versions, with boiled yellow peas and white bread as controls. Pea banana bread (97.9) and biscotti (83) also gave lower responses than white bread, but pea pasta (160.7) did not. The pea biscotti also beat its whole wheat version.
50 g a day of whole yellow pea flour in muffins for 28 days lowered fasting insulin and insulin resistance but not fasting blood sugar or blood fats
Crossover trial in 23 overweight adults with high cholesterol, who ate only supplied food, comparing muffins made with whole pea flour, hull-only pea flour or white wheat flour. Fasting insulin was 37.8 pmol/mL with whole pea flour against 50.7 with wheat flour. Women had a lower belly-type fat ratio with whole pea flour (1.01 against 1.06).
Hull-only pea flour lowered the energy burned after a meal, while whole pea flour had no effect
Same 23-person crossover diet as the study above. After 28 days, hull-only pea flour lowered energy expenditure over 330 minutes after a meal (333.0 against 349.3 kcal) compared with wheat flour, while whole pea flour changed neither energy expenditure nor the thermic effect of food. Neither changed the liver’s triglyceride production.
Bread made with 20% yellow split pea flour raised fullness by 18% but did not change blood sugar or insulin
Randomized crossover trial in 24 healthy adults comparing white bread with breads containing 20% split pea flour, untreated or heat-treated. Hunger, desire to eat and expected food intake were 16 to 18% lower with the pea breads. This was one meal, so it shows short-term appetite only.
Yellow pea pasta gave a smaller blood sugar and insulin rise than wheat pasta at a similar level of fullness
Trial comparing pasta made from yellow peas with semolina wheat pasta; the pea pasta also tasted saltier at 0.75% salt and lowered insulin at a second meal. It was funded by Mizkan Holdings, a food company whose employees are among the authors.
A daily serving of yellow pea pasta improved a marker of oxidative stress but had limited effects on salt intake and blood sugar
Open randomized trial in 40 adults (20 per group) who ate too much salt, comparing one serving of yellow pea pasta a day with usual eating. Lipid peroxide changed by −0.25 in the pasta group and +0.11 in the control group. Funded by Mizkan Holdings, whose employees are among the authors.
15 g a day of yellow pea fiber for 12 weeks led to 0.87 kg of weight loss where the placebo group gained 0.40 kg
Double-blind trial in 9 men and 41 women with overweight or obesity who ate wafers with pea fiber or placebo. The pea fiber group lost 0.74 kg of body fat, ate 16% less at a test lunch buffet and had a lower glucose response, with no difference in gut bacteria. This is a processed fiber, not whole peas.
25 g a day of pea fiber for 4 weeks lowered the blood sugar response to a test meal in people with overweight or obesity
Randomized trial in 29 people with overweight or obesity and at least one sign of metabolic syndrome, who ate 5 g (low) or 25 g (high) of pea fiber a day. Total glucose area under the curve fell from 26,642 to 25,719 mg/dL x min in the high-fiber group, and no other result was significant. This is a processed fiber, not whole peas.
Pea protein powder taken twice a day for 12 weeks of weight training built more biceps thickness than placebo only in the weakest men, not in the group overall
Double-blind trial in 161 men aged 18 to 35 who took 25 g of pea protein isolate, whey protein or placebo twice a day. Overall the groups differed only by a trend; in the weakest participants thickness rose 20.2% with pea, 15.6% with whey and 8.6% with placebo. Three authors work at Roquette, a company that makes pea protein. This is an isolate, not whole peas.
13 days of pea protein did not reduce muscle damage after a long walk, while whey protein did
Trial in 47 active adults over 60 who took 25 g a day of whey protein, pea protein or placebo before a 20 to 30 km walk. At 24 hours the muscle damage marker creatine kinase was 175 with whey against 300 with pea and 330 with placebo; strength, muscle mass and soreness did not differ. This is an isolate, not whole peas.
10 g a day of pea hull fiber in snacks did not change stool frequency in older adults, and bloating and gas went up
Randomized blinded crossover trial in 31 adults with a mean age of 69.7, 2 weeks per snack. Daily abdominal noises and bloating were higher than with the control snack and flatulence was higher than at baseline, with a subgroup of 7 people who got gassier showing a different gut bacteria profile. This is a processed fiber, not whole peas.
Pooled studies of legume eating, with peas among them, found no clear link with heart disease or type 2 diabetes
Pooled legumes, not peas alone (beans, lentils, peas and soybeans, but not peanuts): a review of 47 studies including 31 cohorts with 2,081,432 people. The cohort analyses were null for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, while pooled trials suggested LDL fell 0.19 mmol/L. The authors rated the evidence as limited and noted that legume intakes were generally low.
Green pea hull in the diet reduced fat build-up in the liver of mice fed a high-fat diet
Mouse study of green pea hull, a by-product of pea processing that is rich in fiber and polyphenols, in a model of fatty liver disease. The hull limited weight gain and liver fat and eased liver scarring. Not tested in people, and the hull is not the part usually eaten.
A polyphenol extract of green pea hull eased colitis in mice
Mouse study in which an extract of green pea hull, rich in quercetin and catechin compounds, improved inflammation and gut bacteria in a chemically induced colitis model. Cell and animal work only, with an extract rather than whole peas.
Who should be careful with peas
Most people can eat peas freely. Take a little care if one of these applies:
- Pea or legume allergy. A 2024 review of legume allergens says severe reactions have been described particularly for peas and lupine, and that cross-reactions between legumes, such as peanut and lupine, can catch people by surprise. Anyone with a legume allergy should ask an allergist before trying peas or pea protein.
- Irritable bowel syndrome or a gassy gut. Monash University lists green peas as high in FODMAPs and split peas as particularly high in GOS, a fermentable sugar. Snow peas are low in FODMAPs at a standard serving of 75 g.
How to choose, store and eat peas
- Frozen or fresh: in a lab comparison of eight fruits and vegetables, frozen produce had vitamin levels comparable to fresh, though frozen peas had less riboflavin and beta-carotene.
- Boiled or steamed: the nutrition facts on this page are for boiled, drained green peas, which give 134 calories and 8.8 g of fiber in a cup. Fresh peas can also be eaten raw, steamed, microwaved or roasted.
- Dried yellow or split peas: in one trial, boiled yellow peas gave about half the blood sugar response of white bread (112.3 against 218.1 mmol x min/L), while pea pasta did not.
Leave fresh shelling peas in the pod until you cook them, and keep them unwashed in a loose plastic bag in the fridge, where they last up to a week and taste sweetest when eaten soon. Residues are no reason to skip them: in USDA tests in 2019, none of 126 frozen and 379 canned sweet pea samples had a residue above its legal limit.
Sources
- Abu Risha M, et al. Legume allergens pea, chickpea, lentil, lupine and beyond. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2024.
- FODMAP food list. Monash FODMAP.
- Low FODMAP shopping list. Monash FODMAP blog. 2025.
- Bouzari A, Holstege D, Barrett DM. Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: a comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. J Agric Food Chem. 2015.
- Marinangeli CP, Kassis AN, Jones PJ. Glycemic responses and sensory characteristics of whole yellow pea flour added to novel functional foods. J Food Sci. 2009.
- Peas (NEP-248). University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.
- Pesticide Data Program annual summary, calendar year 2019. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
History of peas
Peas are among the oldest crops. Wild peas are restricted to the Mediterranean Basin and the Near East, and the earliest archaeological finds date from about 10,000 BC in the Near East and Central Asia. Pea remains in Scandinavia go back to 4000 BC, and in the Harappan civilization of the Indus region to 2250 to 1750 BC.
For most of history people grew peas for dry seeds. Greeks and Romans cultivated them from about 500 to 400 BC, and in the Middle Ages dried field peas were a staple. Eating them young and green became a luxury in Europe much later.
Fresh green peas became a fashion in early modern Europe. Accounts say they were brought from Genoa to the court of Louis XIV in January 1660, and by 1696 two French noblewomen called them “a fashion, a fury”.
The word has a quirk. English once used “pease” for the singular, as in pease pudding, from Latin pisum and Greek pison. People took “pease” for a plural and invented the singular “pea” from it.
Peas also launched modern genetics. Between 1856 and 1863 Gregor Mendel grew some 28,000 plants, mostly peas, and followed seven traits such as seed shape and flower color. He read his results to the Natural History Society of Brno in 1865 and published them in 1866, and they were largely ignored until Hugo de Vries and Carl Correns repeated his work in 1900. A 2019 re-examination found that pea varieties on the market in Mendel’s time could supply all the material he needed, and that his ratios do not differ remarkably from what theory predicts.
Freezing gave peas a second life. Clarence Birdseye developed a commercial quick-freezing process in 1924, and in 1930 a 26-item line that included spinach and peas went on sale in 18 stores around Springfield, Massachusetts, which is regarded as the birth of retail frozen foods.
Sources
- Pea. Wikipedia.
- Gregor Mendel. Wikipedia.
- Ellis THN, Hofer JMI, Swain MT, van Dijk PJ. Mendel’s pea crosses: varieties, traits and statistics. Hereditas. 2019.
- Clarence Birdseye. Wikipedia.
Frequently asked questions about peas
Are peas good for you?
For most people, yes. A cup (160 g) of boiled green peas has 134 calories, 8.6 g of protein, 8.8 g of fiber, 35% of the Daily Value of vitamin K and 25% of vitamin C. The research on peas themselves is thin and no result above reaches strong evidence. In the most direct trial, 120 g of peas a day did not significantly lower LDL cholesterol.
Are peas a vegetable or a legume?
Both. Botanically, peas are legumes, seeds that grow in a pod on a plant of the legume family. In the kitchen, fresh and frozen green peas are usually treated as a vegetable, while dried peas are cooked like beans and lentils. Most pea trials above used dried yellow peas, flour, fiber or protein, not frozen green peas.
Are frozen peas as healthy as fresh peas?
Mostly yes. In a lab comparison of eight fruits and vegetables, vitamin content of frozen produce was comparable to fresh, though frozen peas had less riboflavin and beta-carotene. For minerals, most items showed no significant difference between fresh and frozen. The nutrition facts on this page are for boiled peas.
How much protein is in peas?
A cup (160 g) of boiled green peas has 8.6 g of protein, or 5.4 g per 100 g, which is about 28% of its calories. On this site’s protein completeness score peas reach 84 out of 100, limited by methionine and cysteine. Pea protein powder is a different, processed product.
Do peas cause gas?
They can in some people. Monash University lists green peas as high in FODMAPs and split peas as particularly high in GOS, a sugar that gut bacteria ferment. In a trial of 31 older adults, snacks with 10 g a day of pea hull fiber raised bloating and flatulence. Snow peas are low in FODMAPs at 75 g, per Monash.
Are peas good for weight loss?
No trial tested whole peas for weight loss. Boiled peas have 84 calories and 5.5 g of fiber per 100 g. A 12-week trial of a processed pea fiber at 15 g a day led to 0.87 kg of weight loss against a 0.40 kg gain on placebo, and bread with 20% pea flour raised fullness by 18% for one meal. These are small signs, not proof.
Are peas good for blood sugar or diabetes?
They can fit, though the trials are small. Peas have a glycemic index of 36 on this site’s data, and boiled yellow peas gave about half the blood sugar response of white bread (112.3 against 218.1 mmol x min/L). Pea pasta did not (160.7). Check portions and choices with your care team.
Do peas lower cholesterol?
Not clearly. In a 6-week trial with 60 adults per group, 120 g of peas a day lowered LDL by 0.11 mmol/L, which was not significant, while beans lowered it by 0.21 mmol/L. A 28-day trial of pea flour did not change fasting blood fats either.