Black-Eyed Peas (Cowpeas): Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Black-eyed peas, also called cowpeas, are the cream-colored seeds with a dark spot of Vigna unguiculata, a legume (pulse). They are eaten cooked, usually boiled until tender, in stews, salads and rice dishes. People eat them for fiber, plant protein, folate and iron. This page covers the food, keeps it apart from other beans and peas, and says clearly that few human studies exist on black-eyed peas alone.

Read this first

• Cooked beans only. Health Canada's lectin page names soybeans, lentils, lima beans and kidney beans; it does not name cowpeas. Its poisoning steps are for red kidney beans. We read no source on cowpea lectin poisoning, so eat black-eyed peas fully cooked. [12]
• Gas is usually mild. In three feeding studies with a half cup of beans a day, black-eyed peas had the lowest share of people reporting more gas in week 1 (19%, against about 50% for pinto beans), and it fell further in later weeks. [5]
• Allergy: we read no source on black-eyed pea allergy. Allergy to other legumes is reported, and for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or throat you should call 911 (or your local emergency number). [11]
• Kidney disease: black-eyed peas contain potassium and phosphorus. Ask your kidney dietitian before changing how much you eat. [14]
• Evidence in one line: pooled trials of pulses show a small LDL drop; for black-eyed peas alone we found one small trial of 11 healthy adults on blood sugar and fullness. [6] [3]

What is in it (USDA values)

The table is for cooked cowpeas: common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds, boiled, without salt (USDA FoodData Central item 173759, SR Legacy). [1] The serving column is the USDA household portion of 1 cup, 171 g. [1] Raw dry cowpeas (item 173758) are 336 kcal and 23.52 g of protein per 100 g because they hold little water, so do not compare raw and cooked rows. [2]

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; the serving figures are the per-100-g values multiplied by 1.71, and values vary with variety, growing place and cooking. A review of the science describes cowpeas as rich in protein, digestible and non-digestible carbohydrates and potassium, with very low fat and sodium; the abstract we read also mentions polyphenols with antioxidant activity. [4] We read no human study of those polyphenols.

What research says

Eaten as food vs extracts. The people in the trial ate cooked cowpea; the cell work used digested cowpea in a dish. We read no trial of extracts or flours.

How much is a normal serving

The USDA household portion for cooked black-eyed peas is 1 cup (171 g), about 198 kcal, with 11.1 g of fiber, 13.2 g of protein and 356 mcg of folate. [1] NHS counts 80 g of pulses as one portion of your 5 A DAY, and pulses count only once a day however much you eat. [17] In the US, guideline targets of at least 1.5 cups a week of cooked pulses were met by 19.9% of people in 2017-2018. [19] The gas studies used a half cup of beans a day. [5] Pooled trials of pulses used a median of 130 g a day. [6] This is information, not a prescription for you.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Allergy: the 2024 review of legume allergens covers pea, chickpea, lentil and lupine, not cowpea, and says people with peanut allergy can react to other legumes. Proper evidence about black-eyed pea allergy was not found in the sources we read. [11] See peanuts and food allergy basics and emergency signs. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat.
• Lectins: not named on Health Canada's page; see above. [12] See lectins in beans.
• Gas, bloating and FODMAPs: a hospital leaflet says galacto-oligosaccharides are mainly found in beans and pulses and asks patients to avoid them for 4 to 6 weeks as a temporary diet with a dietitian. It does not list black-eyed peas, so we give no portion. [13] In the feeding studies, 19% of people reported more gas with black-eyed peas in week 1 and 12% in week 2, falling to 6% or less later; the studies were small (17 people ate black-eyed peas). [5] See beans, gas, FODMAP and digestion.
• Kidney disease: cooked black-eyed peas have 278 mg potassium and 156 mg phosphorus per 100 g. [1] The National Kidney Foundation says animal sources of phosphorus are absorbed better than plant sources and that additive phosphate is absorbed at more than 90%. [14] A 2021 review found human data suggest at least 50% of phytate phosphorus is absorbed. [15] Ask a kidney dietitian. See foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: MedlinePlus says anyone pregnant should be sure to get enough folate and names lentils and dried beans as sources, not black-eyed peas. USDA lists 208 mcg folate per 100 g of cooked black-eyed peas. [16] [1] NHS says to take a folic acid supplement in pregnancy as well; its page does not name black-eyed peas. [18]
• Young children: CDC advises preparing food in a shape and texture that suits the child and says mashing helps prevent choking; it lists whole beans among foods to avoid and does not name black-eyed peas. [20]
• Medicines: we did not find a source we could read that ties black-eyed peas as a food to a specific medicine interaction.
• Canned and frozen: we have no USDA values for canned or frozen black-eyed peas in our data. Canned products can contain added salt; read the label.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• We did not read a source with storage times for dry or cooked black-eyed peas. A 2026 review says fungal infection generally lowers the nutritional value of pulse seeds, so look for mold or damp in dry peas. [21]
• See dried vs canned beans, soaking and sodium.

Related pages

• Pigeon peas
• Lentils
• Pinto beans
• Legumes: what the research shows
• Beans, gas, FODMAP and digestion
• Foods high in folate