Is Hummus Good for You? 12 Health Benefits of Hummus

Hummus is a famous Middle Eastern dip that works as a spread as well. In the last decade, it has reached new heights of popularity, specifically in the United States.

Hummus is simple in appearance but adds an exotic flavor to almost everything. It is a thick creamy paste that you can eat with whatever dishes you like.

However, if you are health conscious, you may have many questions about its use. You may be wondering what benefits adding it to your diet will give. Well, this delicious blend of chickpeas is just the right food choice.

Containing healthy ingredients including garlic, lemon, tahini, and olive oil, hummus bombards your body with many health benefits. Let’s see why you should include this savory, flavorful delight in your meal.

Is Hummus Good for You?

Here are 12 benefits of hummus and why you should include it in your diet.

1. Keeps Digestive Tract Regular

Hummus is rich in fiber and thanks to this, it keeps the digestive tract regular. It’s a great source of dietary fiber, which helps to prevent heart disease along with providing benefits to the digestive system.^[1]

About one cup of hummus has about 13.5 g of dietary fiber.^[2]

2. Rich in Protein

In addition to fiber, hummus has a high amount of protein.^[3] Protein is an essential building block in bone, muscle, skin, and blood. While you can get this from meat, hummus is a great source for vegetarians and vegans.

Hummus is made of garbanzo beans, which are part of the legume family. Legumes are technically beans and include lentils, soy nuts, edamame, among other types of beans.^[4]

3. Lowers Cholesterol

Hummus, like all foods, should be eaten in moderation. Be mindful that store-bought hummus also tends to be higher in sodium.

Naturally, hummus is a great snack to help lower and control high cholesterol due to its soluble fiber. Enjoying hummus with some cucumbers and carrots is a great way to get beans in your diet and keep you full.

4. Prevents Cancer

Chickpeas have anti-cancer properties. Overall, beans contain three principal protectors including protease inhibitors, saponins, and phytic acid. They play the role of protecting the body against the development of cancerous cells.^[5]

Mediterranean diets are rich in fish, olive oil, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and vegetables. Hummus is a big component of these ingredients in a protein-packed dip.  According to studies, Mediterranean diets have been shown to help reduce the risk of several types of cancer including stomach, break, colorectal, pancreas, prostate, and lung.^[6]

5. Helps in Losing Weight

Hummus is traditionally made with sesame seed butter (called tahini) which contains a fair amount of monounsaturated fats. These have their own set of health benefits, but among them is the ability to help promote weight loss and reduce belly fat.^[7]

6. Makes Bones Grow Stronger

Calcium helps the bone grow stronger and both chickpeas and tahini, which make up hummus, contain calcium. A tablespoon of hummus contains about 66mg of calcium.^[8]

Calcium intake is needed for good bone health. This is especially important for women who are reaching their golden years as their bones need calcium to avoid osteoporosis.

7. Alleviates Anemia

Hummus is made of chickpeas and tahini, which contain a good amount of iron. The iron content of a cup of hummus is about 25% of our recommended daily value. Also, the vitamin-C content of chickpeas helps the body to easily absorb plant-based iron.^[9]

Iron helps red blood cells to deliver oxygen to the body parts, and iron deficiency leads to anemia. Consuming hummus or other dishes having chickpeas helps in alleviating anemia.^[10]

8. Works as a Good Substitute for Unhealthy Foods

There are many great health benefits of hummus, but it can also help you avoid the negative health effects of other foods. For instance, you can use hummus as a substitute for mayo, which is essentially just eggs and fat. You can also mix it with broth or water until it’s thin enough to be used as a salad dressing.

You can even use it as a dip for raw veggies instead of ranch dressing. Hummus is a healthier alternative to those things.^[11]

9. Balances Blood Sugar Levels

The omega-6 fatty acids present in it may also aid in blood sugar regulation, lowering the chance of developing diabetes. A study indicated that sesame oil, which is present in tahini, helped diabetic people by dramatically lower blood sugar levels when paired with their anti-diabetic medication.^[12]

Thanks to the nutrients in hummus, you can eat it to help control your blood sugar levels. Obviously, it’s not a cure for that, but it helps. Also, it is high in protein, which helps you feel fuller for longer.^[13] You can also use this effect to fight food cravings and help yourself lose even more weight!

10. Inspires You to Eat Healthier Foods

As a part of a Mediterranean diet, hummus may help improve postprandial glycemic control, fasting lipids, appetite control, and daily food intake.^[14] This diet is known for its smaller meat portions, a good amount of vegetables, plenty of hummus, and healthy fats like nuts and olive oil.

According to a 2020 study, hummus can enhance diet quality by substituting for items that are richer in saturated fats, sodium, or added sugars. Collectively, this suggests that including hummus and/or hummus ingredients is a crucial component of a healthy eating pattern.^[15]

Simply put, adding hummus will make you go for picking better and healthier options for yourself.

11. Contains High Amounts of Antioxidants

It doesn’t take a doctor to know that antioxidants are good for you, and chickpeas have a lot of them. Getting plenty of antioxidants helps reduce the oxidant damage done in our bodies. While there is no specific thing it prevents or helps in, it contributes overall to good health. ^[16]

According to research, extra virgin olive oil, an ingredient in hummus, can help in reducing the symptoms of certain diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and psoriasis, which are characterized by altered inflammatory responses.^[17]

12. Works as a Perfect Alternative for Allergies!

Hummus is gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy free. If you have those allergies, you’ll be happy to know that hummus is still something you can eat freely. Also, since it can be warped into so many flavors, you can use it to replace things that you may be allergic to and thus reduce the risk of allergic reactions.

Bonus: Make Your Own Hummus Easily

Instead of always getting hummus from the supermarket, you can make your own easily.

You need a hand blender, or an immersion blender, a mixing bowl or cup, and these ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 can chickpeas, drained (reserve a few for garnish)
• 1 lemon, squeezed
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Here are 3 simple steps to make your own hummus:

1. Blend Your Ingredients – Using your blender, whizz up all the ingredients, garlic first. As you blend, feel free to add a little extra water, or some extra olive oil, until you get a smooth paste.  Add a bit of salt too.
2. Transfer the Hummus – Using the spatula (or a spoon), transfer the hummus from the blending bowl into a plate.
3. Garnish the Hummus – Garnish with a big swig of olive oil (to be authentic, you can put a little olive oil pond right in the middle of the hummus), plus a few of the chickpeas you reserved. You can also garnish your hummus with some parsley, cilantro or a celery sprig! Finally, sprinkle with a shake of spice. Paprika is best.

Bottom Line

Is hummus good for you? Now, you have the answer. If you’re still not sold on hummus, you should see all the things that you can make with it. Once you create the base hummus, you can add fruits, veggies, herbs, spices, and whatever you want really to alter the taste to fit whatever you’re having. That means there’s really no excuse not to get yourself some today.

TL;DR

Don't have time for the full article? Read this.

❯

Hummus is a thick creamy paste made from chickpeas that you can eat with whatever dishes you like. It is simple in appearance but adds an exotic flavor to almost everything.

❯

While rich in fiber, hummus keeps the digestive tract regular; one cup of hummus has about 13.5 g of dietary fiber

❯

Humus is rich in protein and can help keep the bone, muscle, skin, and blood healthy.

❯

Chickpeas have anti-cancer properties, and the spread can play a role in protecting the body against the development of cancerous cells.

❯

It’s a great substitute to unhealthy foods and can be eaten in many ways – you can add fruits, veggies, herbs, and spices, and can even be turned into a salad dressing.

Featured photo credit: Foodess via foodess.com