Why are chickpeas throughout the Mediterranean are eaten as morning food, when they are heavy in fiber and make you feel tired and are kinda hard to digest?

Question

I keep hearing that they are high in protein and give you power throught the day, but after I eat a big bowl of chickpeas or hummus, I’m sleepy as hell.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Because they usually eat a smaller portion than a “big bowl”. Chickpeas are high in tryptophan, B6, and magnesium. Tryptophan won’t make you “sleepy” but nicely relaxed, as well as magnesium. They are accustomed to eating these foods regularly so are able to account for the effects. If you randomly ate a big bowl, you may get sleepy. Lastly, not everyone will get tired after eating but some are more prone to being sleepy after eating *any* food.

Answer 2

Heavy in fiber is a good thing. It really is. It’s hard to digest, yeah, but that’s the point. It doesn’t just go through your system. And it helps slow other stuff down too, so you end up having more consistent bowel movements with less diarrhea and less constipation.

Answer 3

Because OP might have a mild allergy or sensitivity to Chickpeas. This is not a universal reaction to them.

Answer 4

You’re probably not having the prerequisite 5 cups of Arabic coffee before eating your bowl of hummus.