Peas and split peas: the pulse effect that peas did not show

By dose-response meta-analysis of 38 randomized trials in 2095 adults, about 4.6 oz (130 g) of whole pulses a day over a median of 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.4 mg/dL (0.14 mmol/L), with a confidence interval of -0.19 to -0.08. GRADE certainty ran from moderate to high for every outcome except apoB, which was rated very low. Peas belong to that class. The one trial that tested them on their own did not reproduce the effect. In 180 adults with mild hypercholesterolemia in two Canadian cities, in three arms of 60 for 6 weeks, 4.2 oz (120 g) of peas a day gave an LDL difference against rice of -4.3 mg/dL (-0.11 mmol/L), with a confidence interval of -0.29 to 0.07. That interval crosses zero. The same amount of beans in the same trial lowered LDL by 8.1 mg/dL (0.21 mmol/L), interval -0.39 to -0.03. The dose-response part of the meta-analysis was demonstrated for beans and not separately for peas, and its authors write that trials on dried peas specifically are still wanted.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g raw, split peas carry 22.2 g of dietary fiber, 0.809 mg of copper and 0.719 mg of thiamin by the USDA reference record, and cooking drops fiber to 8.3 g across the three USDA records for the food. — USDA reference composition record for split peas and two cooked records (n = 3 records) Evidence E source
  Fiber 22.2 g raw against 8.3 g cooked, copper 0.181 to 0.809 mg, thiamin 0.19 to 0.719 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• The UK CoFID record for raw dried split peas gives 22.1 g of protein, 910 mg of potassium and 0.17 mg of copper per 3.5 oz (100 g), and that copper figure sits 79 percent below the USDA one with no stated reason. — UK national food composition dataset, Peas, split, dried, raw, code 13-141 Evidence E source
  Protein 22.1 g, starch 54.7 g, NSP fiber 6.3 g, potassium 910 mg, iron 5.40 mg, zinc 3.8 mg, copper 0.17 mg, thiamin 0.70 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Across 8 sampled lots of canned green peas, copper ranged from 0.0847 to 0.159 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), a spread of 60 percent, and iron from 0.913 to 1.38 mg, a spread of 41 percent. — USDA Foundation Foods sampled lots of canned sweet green peas (n = 8 lots) Evidence E source
  Copper mean 0.1233 mg (spread 60 percent), iron mean 1.139 mg (spread 41 percent), calcium mean 28.21 mg (spread 55 percent), magnesium mean 21.91 mg (spread 27 percent)

What a real portion looks like

• One cup of cooked split peas weighs 6.5 oz (185 g) and carries 14.2 g of dietary fiber, against 8.3 g in a cup of raw green peas and 9.7 g in a cup of split pea soup. — USDA survey portion sizes for split peas from dried, raw green peas and split pea soup Evidence E source
  Split peas 1 cup 185 g with 14.2 g fiber, green peas raw 1 cup 145 g with 8.3 g, split pea soup 1 cup 255 g with 9.7 g

What your body absorbs

• Laboratory data place phytic acid, lectins, tannins and enzyme inhibitors among the compounds that hinder mineral and vitamin absorption from legumes, with soaking, germination and fermentation among the treatments that cut them. — food systems and processing studies, no human outcome measured Evidence D source
  Direction only, reduction of anti-nutritional factors varies with food matrix and processing conditions

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA retention table for legumes boiled 15 to 20 minutes and drained, 60 percent of folate and 65 percent of thiamin survive, while 70 percent of copper and 75 percent of potassium remain. — USDA food group Legumes and Legume Products, method LEGUMES,CKD 15/20MIN,BOILED,DRAINED Evidence E source
  Folate 60 percent retained, vitamin C 65 percent, thiamin 65 percent, copper 70 percent, potassium 75 percent, iron and zinc 85 percent

What it does to your health

• By dose-response meta-analysis of 38 randomized trials in 2095 adults, about 4.6 oz (130 g) of whole pulses a day over a median of 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.4 mg/dL (0.14 mmol/L). — adults in 38 randomized controlled trials of at least 3 weeks, 52 trial comparisons (n = 2095) Evidence A source
  LDL cholesterol MD -5.4 mg/dL (95% CI -7.3 to -3.1; metric: -0.14 mmol/L, -0.19 to -0.08), non-HDL cholesterol -8.5 mg/dL (95% CI -12 to -5.4; metric: -0.22 mmol/L, -0.30 to -0.14), apoB -0.08 g/L (95% CI -0.13 to -0.03)
• In a 6-week randomized trial in 180 adults with mild hypercholesterolemia, 4.2 oz (120 g) of peas a day left LDL cholesterol unchanged against rice (-4.3 mg/dL (95% CI -11 to 2.7; metric: -0.11 mmol/L, -0.29 to 0.07)), while the same amount of beans lowered it by 8.1 mg/dL (0.21 mmol/L). — adults with mild hypercholesterolemia in two Canadian cities, 3 parallel arms of 60 each, 6 weeks (n = 180) Evidence B source
  Peas versus rice LDL -4.3 mg/dL (95% CI -11 to 2.7; metric: -0.11 mmol/L, -0.29 to 0.07), beans versus rice LDL -8.1 mg/dL (95% CI -15 to -1.2; metric: -0.21 mmol/L, -0.39 to -0.03), no change in triglycerides, glucose, insulin or blood pressure
• By systematic review of 40 human crossover intervention studies, pulses produced a lower post-meal glucose response than other starchy foods in 28 of 40 studies and a lower insulin response in 16 of 24. — 40 crossover intervention studies published 2001 to 2024, mostly apparently healthy adults, 3 studies in type 2 diabetes (n = 40 studies) Evidence A source
  Lower postprandial glucose in 28 of 40 studies, lower insulin in 16 of 24, reduced hunger in 3 of 5
• Observational data link higher pulse-dominant legume intake to modestly lower colorectal cancer risk, on 15 human studies of which only one pooled case-control analysis carries that signal. — 15 human studies including 5 case-control, 7 short trials and 2 prospective cohorts, screened from 1244 records (n = 15 studies) Evidence C source
  Direction only, signal attenuates after adjustment for lifestyle and dietary confounders

Safety, limits and interactions

• A scoping review screening 8976 titles found only 47 studies on allergy to pea, chickpea, lentil and lupine, and none of them addressed allergen labeling or education. — adults and children with non-priority legume food allergy, 47 included studies mostly from Europe (n = 47 studies) Evidence C source
  Research concentrated on prevalence, zero studies on labeling or educational needs

What people believe that the data does not support

• The authors of the 2026 pulse lipid meta-analysis state that no health claim exists for any pulse for cholesterol reduction, and that trials on dried peas specifically are still wanted. — regulatory landscape as reported inside a meta-analysis of 38 RCTs Evidence E source
  Zero approved cholesterol-reduction health claims for any pulse

The bottom line

What pulses do more consistently is flatten the curve after a meal. A systematic review gathered 40 human crossover studies published between 2001 and 2024, mostly in apparently healthy adults, with three in type 2 diabetes. Pulses produced a lower post-meal glucose response than the starchy control in 28 of the 40 studies, and a lower insulin response in 16 of 24. That is a count of studies rather than a pooled effect size, and the controls were mostly wheat products or white rice. It tells you what to swap, not how much you gain. Fiber is the reason to keep split peas in the cupboard, and cooking is where most of the headline number goes. Raw split peas carry 22.2 g of dietary fiber per 3.5 oz (100 g) by the USDA reference record, against 8.3 g in the cooked records. Per portion it still adds up. One cup of cooked split peas weighs 6.5 oz (185 g) and brings 14.2 g of fiber, against 8.3 g in a cup of raw green peas and 9.7 g in a cup of split pea soup. Those per-portion figures are recalculated from the 100 g values rather than weighed out. Boiling 15 to 20 minutes and draining costs 40 percent of the folate and 35 percent of the thiamin by the USDA retention table. That table is set for the legume group as a whole, dates from 1975, and carries no factor for fiber at all. Treat the mineral figures as approximate. USDA gives raw split peas 0.809 mg of copper per 3.5 oz (100 g) and the UK CoFID dataset gives 0.17 mg, a gap of 79 percent with no stated reason, while the two datasets agree on thiamin within 3 percent. For canned green peas, where USDA did sample lots, copper ranged from 0.0847 to 0.159 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 8 lots and iron from 0.913 to 1.38 mg. No sampled lots exist for dried split peas, so the spread of the food in this entry is unmeasured. Pea allergy exists and is badly mapped. A scoping review screened 8976 titles and found only 47 studies covering pea, chickpea, lentil and lupine together, with the research concentrated on prevalence and not one study addressing allergen labeling or educational needs. It gives no separate figure for peas and no measure of how common the allergy is. That is the gap, and it is not a reassurance. The cards behind this page hold nothing on pregnancy, kidney disease or interactions with medicines. Two further claims are weaker than they sound. Observational data linking pulse-heavy eating to modestly lower colorectal cancer risk rest on 15 human studies, of which a single pooled case-control analysis carries the signal, and the signal attenuates once lifestyle and diet are adjusted for. Laboratory work on phytic acid, lectins, tannins and enzyme inhibitors in legumes shows a direction only, with soaking, germination and fermentation among the treatments that cut them, and no human outcome measured. The authors of the 38-trial meta-analysis also note that no health claim exists for any pulse for cholesterol reduction.

Sources

1. peasp-daily-r2-08 · food composition dataset
   Peas, green, split, mature seeds, raw (FDC 172428, sr_legacy, Legumes and Legume Products): copper 0.809 MG per 100 g (range across 3 records 0.181-0.809), dietary fibre 22.2 G (range 8.3-22.2), thiamin 0.719 MG (range 0.19-0.719)
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 172428 · checked 2026-09-25
2. peasp-daily-r2-09 · food composition dataset
   Peas, split, dried, raw, CoFID code 13-141: Protein (g) 22.1, Starch (g) 54.7, NSP (g) 6.3, Potassium (mg) 910, Iron (mg) 5.40, Zinc (mg) 3.8, Copper (mg) 0.17, Thiamin (mg) 0.70, Magnesium (mg) 130
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England · checked 2026-09-25
3. peasp-daily-r2-10 · food composition dataset
   Peas, green, sweet, canned, sodium added: Copper, Cu 0.1233 MG, range 0.0847-0.159 (median 0.1295), 8 samples, spread 60% ... Iron, Fe 1.139 MG, range 0.913-1.38 (median 1.16), 8 samples, spread 41% ... Calcium, Ca 28.21 MG, range 21.4-36.9 (median 26.75), 8 samples, spread 55%
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-25
4. peasp-daily-r2-11 · food portion dataset
   Split peas, from dried, fat added, FNDDS code 41303010 (fdc_id 2707421): Fiber, total dietary 7.7 G per 100 g, 1 cup 185 g with 14.2 G ... Green peas, raw (fdc_id 2709797): Fiber, total dietary 5.7 G per 100 g, 1 cup 145 g with 8.3 G ... Soup, split pea (fdc_id 2707459): 1 cup 255 g with 9.7 G
   USDA FoodData Central, FNDDS survey foods, release 2024-10-31 · checked 2026-09-25
5. peasp-daily-r2-06 · systematic review of processing technologies
   Naturally occurring compounds in foods, such as tannins, saponins, phytic acid, gossypol, lectins, and various enzyme inhibitors (protease inhibitors (PIs) and amylase inhibitors), function as anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) that hinder the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals, negatively impacting nutritional bioavailability and human health.
   J Food Sci, 2025 · checked 2026-09-25
6. peasp-daily-r2-12 · nutrient retention factor table
   LEGUMES,CKD 15/20MIN,BOILED,DRAINED, Retn_Code 501, group Legumes and Legume Products (code 16): folate_total_ug 60% remains / 40% loss, vitamin_c_mg 65% / 35%, thiamin_mg 65% / 35%, copper_mg 70% / 30%, potassium_mg 75% / 25%, iron_mg 85% / 15%, zinc_mg 85% / 15%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007 · checked 2026-09-25
7. peasp-daily-r2-01 · systematic review and dose-response 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 2026-09-25
8. peasp-daily-r2-03 · randomized controlled trial
   Mean LDL-cholesterol was lower in the bean group (-0.21; 95% CI: -0.39, -0.03) but not the pea group (-0.11; 95% CI: -0.29, 0.07) relative to rice after 6 wk. ... Beans, but not peas, lowered LDL-cholesterol, relative to rice, in adults with mild hypercholesterolemia.
   J Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-25
9. peasp-daily-r2-04 · systematic review of human intervention studies
   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 2026-09-25
10. peasp-daily-r2-07 · scoping review
    After screening 1244 records, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising five case-control studies, five 4-week randomised controlled trials (RCTs), one 8-week randomised crossover trial, one controlled feeding study, two prospective cohort studies, and one other prospective study. Observational data from a single pooled case-control study suggest that higher pulse-dominant legume intake is compatible with modestly lower colorectal cancer risk, although the findings are mixed and often attenuate after adjustment for lifestyle and dietary confounders.
    Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-09-25
11. peasp-daily-r2-05 · scoping review
    Of the 8976 titles identified, 47 were included subsequent to full-text screening. Most studies identified focused on prevalence, and were conducted in Europe, with additional studies from Asia, and North America. ... Moreover, no studies addressed labeling or educational needs for these allergens.
    J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract, 2021 · checked 2026-09-25
12. peasp-daily-r2-02 · systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of RCTs
    Although dietary pulses are recognized by major clinical practice guidelines to reduce cholesterol and coronary heart disease risk, intake is low. There are no health claims for any pulse for cholesterol reduction, which could support uptake. ... Future studies on chickpeas, dried peas, and lentils are warranted.
    J Am Heart Assoc, 2026 · checked 2026-09-25