Daryeel Magazine
Peanuts pack a serious nutritional punch and offer a variety of health benefits. Here is a breakdown of all those nutritional and health benefits.
1. They are good for heart health
Peanuts are a good source of Vitamin E, niacin, folate, protein and manganese all of which are known to promote heart health.
They are also rich in monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in cardio protective diets. Studies have even shown that a high monounsaturated diet that emphasized peanuts and peanut butter decreased cardiovascular disease risk by an estimated 21%.
2. Peanuts Rival Fruit as a Source of Antioxidants
Peanuts contain oleic acid, the healthful fat found in olive oil, but new research shows these tasty legumes are also as rich in antioxidants as many fruits. In fact they are said rival the antioxidant content of blackberries and strawberries and are far richer in antioxidants than apples, carrots or beets.
3. They potentially have reduced risk of Stroke based on preliminary animal studies
Resveratrol is a flavonoid first studied in red grapes and red wine, but now also found to be present in peanuts. In animal studies on resveratrol itself (the purified nutrient given in intravenous form, not the food form), this phytonutrient has been determined to improve blood flow in the brain by as much as 30%, thus greatly reducing the risk of stroke, according to the results of a laboratory animal study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
4. Peanuts are protective, but pickled foods increase risk of colon cancer
A number of studies have shown that nutrients found in peanuts, including folic acid, phytosterols, phytic acid and resveratrol, may have anti-cancer effects. A rich source all these nutrients—including the phytosterol beta-sisterol, which has demonstrated anti-cancer actions—peanuts have long been considered a likely candidate as a colon cancer-preventive food.(Awad AB, Chan KC, et al., Nutr Cancer).
5. Help Prevent Gallstones
Twenty years of dietary data collected on over 80,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study shows that women who eat least 1 ounce of nuts, peanuts or peanut butter each week have a 25% lower risk of developing gallstones.
6. Protect against Alzheimer’s and Age-related Cognitive Decline
Research published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry indicates regular consumption of niacin-rich foods like peanuts provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline.
8. Eating Nuts Lowers Risk of Weight Gain
Although nuts are known to provide a variety of cardio-protective benefits, many avoid them for fear of weight gain. A prospective study published in the journal Obesity shows such fears are groundless. In fact, people who eat nuts at least twice a week are much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never eat nuts.
