Peas

Overview

Peas provide plant protein, prebiotic fiber, and thiamine (B1), supporting gut health, neurotransmitter synthesis, and mitochondrial function. Thiamine (B1): Pork, sunflower seeds, salmon, peas, rice, lentils. Thiamine is essential for mitochondrial glucose metabolism in the brain leading to ATP production. Peas are part of the legume family with prebiotic benefits.

Recipes

no recipes found

Substances

2 substances in this food

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Mitochondrial glucose metabolism; ATP synthesis; rapid turnover in CNS

Vitamin B9 (Folate; 5-MTHF)

One-carbon metabolism; methylation; homocysteine recycling

Preparation Notes

• Can be consumed fresh, frozen, or dried; fresh peas have higher nutrient content
• Soak dried peas to reduce phytates and improve mineral bioavailability
• Part of diverse legume intake; dietary diversity (≥30 plant foods per week) supports microbial richness and resilience
• Pair with grains for complete amino acid profile; grain-legume complementarity improves essential amino-acid coverage

Biological Target Matrix

Biological Target	Substance	Therapeutic Areas	Mechanism of Action
Insulin Response	Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD	Supports glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity through mitochondrial function
Methylation	Vitamin B9 (Folate; 5-MTHF)	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Alzheimer's Disease	Essential cofactor in remethylation of homocysteine to methionine, which is converted to S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe); SAMe fuels synthesis of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin and drives phospholipid methylation in neuronal membranes
Mitochondrial Support	Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Alzheimer's Disease, Bipolar Disorder	Essential for mitochondrial glucose metabolism in the brain leading to ATP production; supports PDH (pyruvate dehydrogenase) and α-KGDH (alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase) function
Neurochemical Balance	Vitamin B9 (Folate; 5-MTHF)	ADHD, Anxiety & GAD, Depression & MDD, Alzheimer's Disease, Bipolar Disorder	Supports neurotransmitter synthesis through methylation; cofactor for dopamine synthesis alongside iron, B6, and omega-3s

References

• Thiamine (B1): Pork, sunflower seeds, salmon, peas, rice, lentils; essential for mitochondrial glucose metabolism in the brain leading to ATP production Dhir et al. 2019
• Part of legume family with prebiotic benefits; legumes provide prebiotic fiber (GOS - galactooligosaccharides) supporting gut microbiome health
• Thiamine does not exist in a large brain "reservoir"; the CNS maintains small, tightly regulated intracellular pools that depend on continuous, transporter-mediated supply, making deficiency states potentially acute