Chickpeas and hominy: a well tested pulse next to an untested corn

In a meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials with 1037 people, about one serving of pulses a day (median 130 g) lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.6 mg/dL (95% CI -9.7 to -3.5; metric: 0.17 mmol/L, -0.25 to -0.09) against diets without them. Chickpeas are pooled there with other pulses. A 2026 update of 38 trials with 2095 people found LDL 5.4 mg/dL (0.14 mmol/L) lower over a median of 6 weeks, with HDL slightly lower as well, again with chickpeas pooled among other pulses. Hominy has no health trial of its own that we found. It is maize cooked in a dilute calcium hydroxide solution before the hull comes off, a step called nixtamalization, so what is known comes from the process. In a randomized study with 40 adults in Soweto, nixtamalization cut fumonisin B1 in moldy maize by 95% and zearalenone by 89%. That maize was moldy, a long way from a can of shop hominy. A cup of canned chickpeas weighs 6.3 oz (180 g) and a cup of cooked hominy 170 g. Israeli adults who ate legumes had a median 40.8 g a day, about a quarter cup, in a single 24 hour recall, well under the 130 g the trials used.

How much is actually in it

• In a crossover RCT with 18 adults, a 3 oz (85.5 g) serving of chickpeas supplied 123 calories of usable energy, 10.4% less than label Atwater factors predict. — 18 healthy adults, controlled diets with 7-day fecal and urine collections (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Metabolizable energy 515 kJ (123 calories) per 85.5 g serving; 10.4% below Atwater general, 8.0% below specific factors
• USDA measured 5.1 mg iron per 3.5 oz (100 g) in dry chickpeas and 1.0 mg in canned chickpeas, while canned chickpeas carried 202 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) with a range of 88 to 276 mg. — USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, 8 samples each (n = 8) Evidence E source
  Dry: iron 5.094 mg (4.14-5.91), protein 21.3 g; canned: iron 1.042 mg (0.804-1.4), sodium 201.7 mg (87.6-276.0), fiber 5.9 g

What a real portion looks like

• In a national survey of 2808 Israeli adults, chickpeas made up 67% of legume intake, with consumers eating a median 40.8 g a day. — Israeli Health and Nutrition Survey 2014-2016, adults 18-64, single 24 h recalls, n = 2808 (n = 2808) Evidence C source
  Legumes eaten by 31.1%; median 40.8 g/d (IQR 20.4-74.0); chickpeas 67.0% of legume consumption
• In the USDA survey food table one cup of canned chickpeas weighs 6.3 oz (180 g) and one cup of cooked hominy weighs 6 oz (170 g). — USDA FNDDS: Chickpeas, from canned, no added fat (code 41302080); Hominy, cooked (code 75217520) Evidence E source
  Chickpeas 1 cup 180 g, unspecified 90 g; hominy 1 cup 170 g, unspecified 85 g

What your body absorbs

• In 11 healthy young men, methionine from cooked chickpeas was 63% bioavailable versus 100% from rice. — 11 healthy young men under 30, BMI under 25, repeated-measures IAAO (n = 11) Evidence B source
  Methionine bioavailability chickpeas 63%, rice 100%; phenylalanine oxidation down up to 14% with the combination
• In 28 moderately stunted Indian children aged 6-11, extruded chickpea protein had a mean amino acid digestibility of 89%, similar to 88% for extruded yellow pea. — 28 moderately stunted children aged 6-11 y, South India (n = 28) Evidence B source
  Mean amino acid digestibility 89.0% (chickpea) vs 88.0% (yellow pea); lysine 79.2% vs 76.5%
• Nixtamalization has added calcium to maize for millennia, but phytate in the kernel, only modestly reduced by the process, compromises how much of that calcium is absorbed. — 5 healthy adult women, about 140 g tortillas, dual-isotope method (n = 5) Evidence C source
  Fractional calcium absorption 0.35 (control maize) vs 0.50 (low-phytate maize)

What cooking and storage change

• In a crossover RCT with 15 adults, hummus made from intact chickpea cells gave lower blood insulin than hummus with ruptured cells at the same 27 g starch. — 15 healthy participants, randomized crossover, 27 g starch as hummus (n = 15) Evidence B source
  Insulin and GIP significantly lower after intact-cell hummus (P < 0.02, P < 0.03)
• WHO describes nixtamalization, the step that turns maize into hominy, as cooking kernels in a dilute calcium hydroxide solution before the hull is removed. — WHO Guideline: Fortification of maize flour and corn meal with vitamins and minerals, 2016 Evidence E source
  Definition, no effect size
• By the USDA retention table for legumes boiled 2 to 2.5 hours and drained, 30% of folate and 40% of thiamin remain. — USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors Release 6, Legumes and Legume Products (code 16), method 541 Evidence E source
  Folate 30%, thiamin 40%, vitamin B6 50%, potassium 65%, iron 75%, zinc 85%

What it does to your health

• In a meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials with 1037 people, about one daily serving of pulses such as chickpeas (median 130 g) lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.6 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L). — 26 RCTs, n = 1037, trials of at least 3 weeks, pulses vs isocaloric diets without pulses (n = 1037) Evidence A source
  LDL-C MD -6.6 mg/dL (95% CI -9.7 to -3.5; metric: -0.17 mmol/L, -0.25 to -0.09); no effect on apoB or non-HDL
• In a meta-analysis of 21 randomized trials with 940 people, diets with about one serving of pulses a day reduced body weight by 0.75 lb (0.34 kg) over a median 6 weeks. — 21 RCTs, n = 940, at least 3 weeks (n = 940) Evidence A source
  Body weight -0.75 lb (95% CI -1.4 to -0.09; metric: -0.34 kg, -0.63 to -0.04)
• In a meta-analysis of 9 acute feeding trials, pulse meals produced 31% more satiety than isocaloric controls but did not reduce intake at the next meal. — 9 acute controlled feeding trials Evidence A source
  Satiety iAUC ratio of means 1.31 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.58); second meal intake MD -19.94 (95% CI -75 to 35), not significant
• In a meta-analysis of 41 trials, pulses eaten alone lowered fasting blood glucose with a standardized mean difference of 0.82 in people with and without diabetes. — 41 randomized controlled trials of at least 7 days, people with and without diabetes Evidence A source
  Pulses alone (11 trials): FBG SMD -0.82 (95% CI -1.36 to -0.27); insulin SMD -0.49 (95% CI -0.93 to -0.04)

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a randomized study with 40 adults in Soweto, nixtamalization, the alkaline cooking that makes hominy, cut fumonisin B1 in moldy maize by 95%. — 40 healthy adults, Kliptown, Soweto, South Africa (n = 40) Evidence B source
  Fumonisin B1 and B2 -95%, zearalenone -89%; urinary biomarkers similar to control maize
• A scoping review of 47 studies finds chickpea, pea, lentil and lupine allergies are frequently implicated in severe allergic reactions. — 47 original studies, adults and children, mostly Europe Evidence C source
  No effect size; research gaps on burden and labeling

What people believe that the data does not support

• Authors of the 2026 pulse meta-analysis note that no pulse carries a health claim for lowering cholesterol, even though guidelines recommend pulses. — statement in a 2026 systematic review of 38 trials Evidence E source
  No pulse cholesterol health claim exists

What is still unknown

• An updated meta-analysis of 38 trials with 2095 people found whole pulses lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.4 mg/dL (0.14 mmol/L) over a median 6 weeks. — 38 trials, 52 comparisons, n = 2095, median 6 weeks, median dose 130 g/d (n = 2095) Evidence A source
  LDL-C MD -5.4 mg/dL (95% CI -7.3 to -3.1; metric: -0.14 mmol/L, -0.19 to -0.08); non-HDL -8.5 mg/dL (95% CI -12 to -5.4; metric: -0.22 mmol/L, -0.30 to -0.14); GRADE moderate to high
• A systematic review of 72 studies finds chickpea protein hydrolysate benefits rest on lab, cell and animal work, with no human intervention trials yet. — 72 studies on chickpea protein hydrolysates and peptides Evidence D source
  No human trials identified

The bottom line

Pulses did other small things in trials. Body weight fell 0.75 lb (95% CI -1.4 to -0.09; metric: 0.34 kg, -0.63 to -0.04) over a median 6 weeks in 21 trials with 940 people. Pulse meals gave 31% more satiety in 9 acute feeding trials, and people did not eat significantly less at the next meal. In 11 trials, pulses eaten on their own lowered fasting blood glucose by a standardized mean difference of 0.82, a unit-free measure pooled across people with and without diabetes, with high heterogeneity. The authors of the 2026 meta-analysis note that no pulse holds a health claim for lowering cholesterol. An 3 oz (85.5 g) serving of chickpeas gave 18 adults 123 calories of usable energy, 10.4% below what label factors predict. USDA lists 5.1 mg iron per 3.5 oz (100 g) for dry chickpeas and 1.0 mg for canned, and those two are hard to compare per 3.5 oz (100 g) because dry chickpeas hold 8.8 g of water and canned ones 68.6 g. Canned chickpeas carried 202 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), with samples ranging from 88 to 276 mg, so the label on your can matters. By the USDA group factor for legumes boiled 2 to 2.5 hours and drained, 30% of folate and 40% of thiamin remain. In 11 healthy young men, methionine from cooked chickpeas was 63% available against 100% from rice. In 15 adults, hummus made from intact chickpea cells gave lower insulin than hummus from ruptured cells at the same 27 g of starch, a gap the abstract reports only as a P value. Nixtamalization adds calcium to maize, but phytate in the kernel, only modestly reduced by the process, limits how much of it is absorbed. The one study of this we have measured tortillas in 5 women. Benefits claimed for chickpea protein hydrolysates rest on lab and animal work, with no human intervention trial yet. Who should be careful: a scoping review of 47 studies finds chickpea, pea, lentil and lupine allergies frequently implicated in severe allergic reactions, and chickpea is not on the US list of priority allergens. The mycotoxin study above is the only safety data on hominy we have. We found no card on pregnancy or medicines for either food.

Sources

1. chhm-daily-r7-07 · RCT (crossover)
   The metabolizable energy (ME) of the chickpeas is 515 ± 17 kJ/serving (123 ± 4 kcal/serving) (serving mass = 85.5 g), which is 10.4% lower (p = 0.002) and 8.0% lower (p = 0.02) than the ME calculated using Atwater General or Specific Factors, respectively.
   Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
2. chhm-daily-r7-17 · food composition dataset
   Chickpeas, (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), dry | Iron, Fe | 5.094 MG | range 4.14-5.91, 8 samples || Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), canned | Iron, Fe | 1.042 MG | range 0.804-1.4, 8 samples | Sodium, Na | 201.7 MG | range 87.6-276.0, 8 samples, spread 93%
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-28
3. chhm-daily-r7-14 · cross-sectional
   Median (interquartile range) daily legume intake among consumers was 40.8g (20.4-74.0), equivalent to ~ 0.25 cup per day. Chickpeas were most commonly consumed (67.0%), followed by lentils (14.5%) and dry beans (12.2%).
   Eur J Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
4. chhm-daily-r7-18 · survey food dataset
   Chickpeas, from canned, no added fat | FNDDS code 41302080 | fdc_id 2707418 | 1 cup 10205 = 180 g || Hominy, cooked | FNDDS code 75217520 | fdc_id 2709933 | 1 cup 10205 = 170 g
   USDA FNDDS (survey foods) · checked 2026-09-28
5. chhm-daily-r7-08 · RCT (crossover)
   The bioavailability of methionine from rice and from chickpeas was 100% and 63%, respectively.
   J Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-09-28
6. chhm-daily-r7-09 · RCT
   The mean AA digestibility of extruded chickpea and yellow pea protein in moderately stunted children (HAZ; -2.86 to -1.2) was high and similar in both extruded test proteins (89.0% and 88.0%, respectively, P = 0.83).
   J Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-09-28
7. chhm-daily-r7-12 · clinical trial
   Calcium fortification of maize has been achieved for millennia in Central America by the process of nixtamalization. Bioavailability of calcium is, however, compromised by phytate, which is present in large quantities in maize kernels and is only modestly reduced by nixtamalization.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2005 · checked 2026-09-28
8. chhm-daily-r7-10 · RCT (crossover)
   Blood insulin and GIP concentrations were significantly lower (P < 0.02, P < 0.03) after the consumption of the ICC meal than the meal containing RCC.
   Food Res Int, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
9. chhm-daily-r7-16 · agency guideline
   One of these pre-processing steps is called nixtamalization, which is characterized by cooking maize kernels in a dilute alkali solution of calcium hydroxide that is made by dissolution of calcium oxide in water (traditionally, limewater, ash or lye).
   WHO Guideline: Fortification of maize flour and corn meal with vitamins and minerals, 2016 · checked 2026-09-28
10. chhm-daily-r7-19 · retention factor table
    LEGUMES,CKD 2/2.5HRS,BOILED,DRAINED | Legumes and Legume Products (16) | Retn_Code 541 | folate_total_ug 30% | thiamin_mg 40% | vitamin_b6_mg 50% | potassium_mg 65% | iron_mg 75% | zinc_mg 85%
    USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007) · checked 2026-09-28
11. chhm-daily-r7-01 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Diets emphasizing dietary pulse intake at a median dose of 130 g/d (about 1 serving daily) significantly lowered LDL cholesterol levels compared with the control diets (mean difference -0.17 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval -0.25 to -0.09 mmol/L).
    CMAJ, 2014 · checked 2026-09-28
12. chhm-daily-r7-04 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    The pooled analysis showed an overall significant weight reduction of -0.34 kg (95% CI: -0.63, -0.04 kg; P = 0.03) in diets containing dietary pulses (median intake of 132 g/d or ∼1 serving/d) compared with diets without a dietary pulse intervention over a median duration of 6 wk.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-09-28
13. chhm-daily-r7-05 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Dietary pulses produced a 31% greater satiety incremental area under the curve (IAUC) (RoM = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.58, P = 0.004; Phet = 0.96; I(2) = 0%) without affecting second meal intake (MD = -19.94, 95% CI: -75-35, P = 0.48; Phet = 0.01; I(2) = 63%).
    Obesity (Silver Spring), 2014 · checked 2026-09-28
14. chhm-daily-r7-06 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Pulses alone (11 trials) lowered fasting blood glucose (FBG) (-0.82, 95% CI -1.36 to -0.27) and insulin (-0.49, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.04).
    Diabetologia, 2009 · checked 2026-09-28
15. chhm-daily-r7-11 · RCT
    Nixtamalization achieved a reduction in fumonisin B3 and deoxynivalenol (DON) to unquantifiable or undetectable levels in maize, while reducing fumonisin B1 (FB1), fumonisin B2, and zearalenone (ZEN) by 95%, 95%, and 89%, respectively.
    Toxins (Basel), 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
16. chhm-daily-r7-13 · scoping review
    Nonpriority legume allergies, which include chickpea, pea, lentil, and lupine, are frequently implicated in severe allergic reactions.
    J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract, 2021 · checked 2026-09-28
17. chhm-daily-r7-03 · background statement
    There are no health claims for any pulse for cholesterol reduction, which could support uptake.
    J Am Heart Assoc, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
18. chhm-daily-r7-02 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    Thirty-eight trials (52 trial comparisons, n=2095) with a median of 6 weeks and dose of 130 g/d (0.5-0.67 cup/d) showed that whole dietary pulses decreased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (mean difference, -0.14 mmol/L [95% CI, -0.19 to -0.08]), non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (-0.22 mmol/L [95% CI, -0.30 to -0.14]), apoB (apolipoprotein B) (-0.08 g/L [95% CI, -0.13 to -0.03]) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (-0.03 mmol/L [95% CI, -0.05 to -0.01]) with no effects on other lipids.
    J Am Heart Assoc, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
19. chhm-daily-r7-15 · systematic review
    However, heterogeneous hydrolysis protocols, incomplete peptide characterization, inconsistent bioactivity methods, limited scale-up evidence, and the absence of human intervention trials restrict translation.
    Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28