Pea soup: pulses in a bowl, and the salt of the pot

Pea soup is a way of eating pulses, and the strongest evidence on pulses is about cholesterol. A 2026 meta-analysis of 38 randomized trials in 2,095 adults found that a median 130 g a day of whole pulses for a median 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.4 mg/dL (95% CI 3.1 to 7.3; metric: 0.14 mmol/L, 0.08 to 0.19). Those trials tested pulses in general, with few on dried peas and none on soup, and the authors note that no pulse carries an approved cholesterol health claim. In a single USDA record, one cup (255 g) of split pea soup gives about 156 calories, 9.1 g protein, 9.7 g fiber, 510 mg potassium and 622 mg sodium. A UK record for homemade pea and ham soup comes out close, at 73 calories and 235 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). These are single records, and the salt in any one pot depends on its recipe.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• UK data for homemade pea and ham soup give 73 calories, 4.1 g protein and 235 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), close to the US split pea soup figures for energy and sodium. — CoFID 2021 'Soup, pea and ham, homemade' (code 17-829) (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 73 calories, protein 4.1 g, fat 2.2 g, NSP fiber 1.4 g, sodium 235 mg, potassium 194 mg, iron 0.99 mg

What a real portion looks like

• One cup (255 g) of split pea soup provides about 156 calories, 9.1 g protein, 9.7 g fiber, 510 mg potassium and 622 mg sodium. — USDA FNDDS 'Soup, split pea' (FDC 2707459, food code 41602050) (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 61 calories, protein 3.55 g, fiber 3.8 g, potassium 200 mg, sodium 244 mg; per cup 255 g and per can 525 g

What your body absorbs

• In 10 young women, removing phytic acid from a pea protein formula raised iron absorption from 21% to 33%. — Healthy non-anemic young women, stable-isotope iron absorption from pea-protein-isolate infant formulas (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Iron absorption 20.7% -> 33.1% after dephytinisation; 14.8% -> 22.1% with Fe:ascorbic acid 1:4.2 vs 1:2.1 (both P < 0.0001)
• In 28 female runners, 8 weeks of pea powder with vitamin C raised ferritin by 14% (regular peas) and 5% (low-phytate peas) versus a 2% fall on control, but the differences were not significant. — Female runners aged about 35, pea powder plus vitamin C or maltodextrin control, 8 weeks (n = 28) Evidence B source
  Plasma ferritin +14.4% regular pea, +5.1% low phytic acid pea, -2.2% control; between-group difference not significant

What cooking and storage change

• In a crossover trial, boiled yellow peas produced about half the blood glucose response of white bread, while pasta made from whole yellow pea flour did not differ from white bread. — Healthy adults, single-blind crossover test meals Evidence B source
  Glucose AUC: boiled yellow peas 112.3 vs white bread 218.1 mmol x min/L; yellow pea pasta 160.7, comparable to white bread
• In 28 stunted Indian children, amino acids from extruded yellow pea protein were 88% digestible, about 20% higher than an earlier adult estimate for pressure-cooked peas. — Moderately stunted children aged 6-11 y, South India, dual stable isotope method (n = 28) Evidence B source
  Mean amino acid digestibility 88.0% (yellow pea) vs 89.0% (chickpea); lysine 76.5%

What it does to your health

• A 2026 systematic review of 40 meal studies found pulse meals gave lower blood glucose than wheat or white rice meals in 28 of 40 studies and lower insulin in 16 of 24. — Human postprandial intervention studies comparing non-oil-seed pulses with starchy control foods (n = 40 studies) Evidence B source
  Lower glucose response in 28 of 40 studies; lower insulin in 16 of 24

Safety, limits and interactions

• In bean feeding trials with half a cup a day for 8 to 12 weeks, fewer than half of adults reported more gas in the first week, only 19% with black-eyed peas, and 3-11% reported it even on control diets. — Adults in three trials eating 1/2 cup of pinto beans, baked beans or black-eyed peas daily vs control (n = 126) Evidence B source
  Increased flatulence: <50% pinto or baked beans, 19% black-eyed peas, 3-11% control

What people believe that the data does not support

• A 2026 meta-analysis of 38 randomized trials found that about 4.6 oz (130 g) of whole pulses a day lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.4 mg/dL (0.14 mmol/L) over a median 6 weeks, although no pulse carries a cholesterol health claim. — Adults in randomized trials of whole dietary pulses lasting at least 3 weeks (n = 2095) Evidence A source
  LDL-C -5.4 mg/dL (95% CI -7.3 to -3.1; metric: -0.14 mmol/L, -0.19 to -0.08); non-HDL-C -8.5 mg/dL (-12 to -5.4; metric: -0.22 mmol/L, -0.30 to -0.14)

The bottom line

Pulses tend to raise blood glucose less than bread or white rice. A 2026 systematic review of 40 meal studies found lower glucose responses with pulses in 28 of them and lower insulin in 16 of 24, counted study by study, not pooled, and not all randomized. In one crossover trial in healthy adults, boiled yellow peas gave a glucose response of 112.3 against 218.1 mmol x min/L for white bread, while pasta from whole yellow pea flour came out comparable to white bread. The abstract does not give the number of people, and those were peas, not soup. Peas carry iron that phytic acid holds back. In 10 young women drinking a pea protein formula, removing the phytic acid raised iron absorption from 20.7 to 33.1 percent. That was a protein isolate in an infant formula, far from whole peas in a soup. In 28 female runners taking pea powder with vitamin C for 8 weeks, ferritin rose 14.4 percent with regular peas and 5.1 percent with low-phytate peas, against a 2.2 percent fall on control, and the difference between groups did not reach significance. In moderately stunted children in South India, extruded yellow pea protein was digested about 20 percent better than an earlier estimate for pressure-cooked peas in adults, a comparison across two separate studies. Gas is the caution we have. In three trials of half a cup of beans a day, fewer than half of adults reported more flatulence in the first week with pinto or baked beans, 19 percent with black-eyed peas, and 3 to 11 percent even on control diets. Those were beans and cowpeas, self-reported. We have no card on pea allergy, pregnancy or medicines for this soup.

Sources

1. peasp-daily-r1-02 · CoFID 2021, dataset
   Soup, pea and ham, homemade [17-829]: Energy (kcal) 73, Protein (g) 4.1, Fat (g) 2.2, NSP (g) 1.4, Sodium (mg) 235, Potassium (mg) 194, Iron (mg) 0.99 per 100 g
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0), code 17-829 · checked 2026-10-02
2. peasp-daily-r1-01 · USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, dataset
   Soup, split pea (FDC 2707459, FNDDS 41602050, WWEIA Soups, broth-based): Energy 61 kcal, Protein 3.55 g, Fiber, total dietary 3.8 g, Potassium, K 200 mg, Sodium, Na 244 mg per 100 g; portions: 1 cup 255 g, 1 can 525 g, 1 individual container 440 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, FDC 2707459, food code 41602050 · checked 2026-10-02
3. peasp-daily-r1-06 · randomized controlled trial
   Geometric mean Fe absorption increased from 20.7 (+1 SD 41.6, -1 SD 10.3) % to 33.1 (+1 SD 58.6, -1 SD 18.7) %; (P < 0.0001; n 10) after enzymic degradation of virtually all phytic acid.
   Br J Nutr, 2001 · checked 2026-10-02
4. peasp-daily-r1-07 · randomized controlled trial
   The regular pea and low phytic acid pea groups had a 14.4% and 5.1% increase in plasma ferritin, respectively, while the maltodextrin group had a decrease of 2.2%; however, the difference in changes between groups was not statistically significant.
   Nutr Health, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
5. peasp-daily-r1-05 · randomized crossover trial
   WYPF banana bread (97.9 +/- 17.8 mmol x min/L) and biscotti (83 +/- 13 mmol x min/L), as well as BYP (112.3 +/- 19.9 mmol x min/L), reduced (P < 0.05) glycemic responses compared to WB (218.1 +/- 29.5 mmol x min/L). The glycemic response of WYPF pasta (160.7 +/- 19.4 mmol x min/L) was comparable to WB.
   J Food Sci, 2009 · checked 2026-10-02
6. peasp-daily-r1-08 · randomized controlled trial
   Extruded chickpea and yellow pea protein had good IAA digestibility in moderately stunted children, which was 20% higher than an earlier report of their digestibility when pressure-cooked, measured by the same method in adults.
   J Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-10-02
7. peasp-daily-r1-04 · systematic review
   Most of the articles in this review reported that non-oil-seed pulses cause lower glucose (28 of 40 studies) and insulin (16 of 24 studies) responses than other starchy foods in the control groups (mainly wheat-flour-based products or white rice).
   Nutr Rev, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02
8. peasp-daily-r1-09 · randomized controlled trials
   Less than 50% reported increased flatulence from eating pinto or baked beans during the first week of each trial, but only 19% had a flatulence increase with black-eyed peas. A small percentage (3-11%) reported increased flatulence across the three studies even on control diets without flatulence-producing components.
   Nutr J, 2011 · checked 2026-10-02
9. peasp-daily-r1-03 · meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
   There are no health claims for any pulse for cholesterol reduction, which could support uptake. ... 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])
   J Am Heart Assoc, 2026 · checked 2026-10-02