Peanuts: Not Your Typical Snack

Peanuts are probably one of the most common go to snack of anyone; May it be on children, teenagers, or adults. In any time of the day, you can’t just say NO to binge eating it. But as you eat this snack, did it ever come to your mind that eating them has been associated with plenty of health benefits — from increased cognitive function to protection from Alzheimer’s, as well as keeping your heart healthy. Peanuts are not just mouth-watering delicacies – there is more to them.

Did You Know? 

Despite their name, peanuts are unrelated to tree nuts. As a legume, they’re related to beans, lentils, and soy.

Health Benefits 

PEANUTS PROMOTE HEART HEALTH

Peanuts (and other nuts, in general) can lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. Bad cholesterol leads to plaque growth on the blood vessels, and peanuts can prevent this.

PEANUTS MAY PROTECT YOU AGAINST GALLSTONES

As their name implies, gallstones are small particles that form in the gallbladder. In a long-term, scientists found that eating high levels of nuts — particularly peanuts — lowered risk of gallstones by 25%. It is uncertain what nutrients in peanuts help to protect your gallbladder, but eating at least one serving of peanuts per day is associated with reduced risk of gallstone formation.

PEANUTS MAY BOOST HAIR GROWTH

Since peanuts contain all the amino acids and protein, they might be a good supplementation to a diet for hair growth.

PEANUTS ARE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF BIOTIN

Biotin is an extremely beneficial nutrient for your physiological well-being.  Preliminary research suggests that biotin could be beneficial for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and some brain conditions (Mock, 2015).

PEANUTS MAY AID TO WEIGHT LOSS

Compared to eating them with a meal, peanuts caused stronger feelings of fullness when consumed as a snack. This may eventually help with weight loss. Research also shows that consumption of peanuts and peanut butter can increase the feelings of fullness. These could satisfy customers better than carbohydrate snacks in equal quantities.

ADDITIONAL FACTS 

Some people are debating whether to eat peanuts raw or boiled. This brings us to one big question – raw or boiled? Which type of peanuts is better?

According to a study I’ve read, both are equally nutritionally rich. Raw peanuts might carry a risk of aflatoxin. But if you are going for the branded variety, you don’t have to worry about it. In addition, some research shows that boiling peanuts enhances their antioxidant content. Boiled peanuts have a two to four-fold increase in their isoflavone antioxidant content. This way, boiled peanuts could be a better choice – if you have the time and patience.

But for me, the simplest way to eat peanuts is to just pop them into your mouth. Or if you find that boring, here are some additional tips on how to make your simple snack more interesting: