All You Need to Know About Health Benefits of Peanuts


All You Need to Know About Health Benefits of Peanuts

All You Need to Know About Health Benefits of Peanuts

All You Need to Know About Health Benefits of Peanuts

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are a legume that originated in South America and there are a lot of health benefits of peanuts.

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

Other peanut products include peanut oil, flour, and protein. These goods are used in a variety of foods, such as desserts, cakes, confectionery, snacks, and sauces.

Peanuts come in many forms, including roasted, salted, chocolate-coated, and as peanut butter.

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Different types have different nutritional profiles and various health benefits.

Peanuts are rich in protein, fat, and various healthy nutrients. Studies show that peanuts may even be useful for weight loss and are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.

Some of the health benefits of peanuts are,

Weight Loss

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Peanuts have been widely studied with regard to weight maintenance.

Despite being high in fat and calories, peanuts do not appear to contribute to weight gain.

In fact, observational studies have shown that peanut consumption may help maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of obesity.

Various factors make peanuts a weight-loss-friendly food:

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  • They reduce food intake by promoting fullness to a greater extent than other common snacks, such as rice cakes.
  • Because of how filling peanuts are, people appear to compensate for increased peanut consumption by eating less of other foods.
  • When whole peanuts are not chewed well enough, a portion of them may pass through your digestive system without being absorbed.
  • The high content of protein and monounsaturated fat in peanuts may increase calorie burning.
  • Peanuts are a source of insoluble dietary fiber, which is linked to a reduced risk of weight gain.

Heart Health

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

Observational studies indicate that eating peanuts, as well as other types of nuts, may protect against heart disease.

These benefits are likely the result of various factors.

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Notably, peanuts contain a number of heart-healthy nutrients. These include magnesium, niacin, copper, oleic acid, and multiple antioxidants, such as resveratrol.

Gallstone Prevention

Gallstones affect approximately 10–25% of adults in the United States.

Two observational studies suggest that frequent peanut consumption may cut the risk of gallstones in both men and women.

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As most gallstones are largely composed of cholesterol, the cholesterol-lowering effect of peanuts may be the cause.

Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Managing Blood Sugar Levels

Peanuts are an excellent food for people with diabetes or a risk of diabetes.

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Peanuts have a low glycemic index (GI), meaning they do not cause big spikes in blood sugar levels.

Peanuts help control blood sugar levels because they are relatively low in carbohydrates but high in protein, fat, and fiber.

Fiber slows down the digestive processes, allowing a steadier release of energy, and protein takes longer to break down than simple carbohydrates.

Also Read: Health Benefits of Kiwi Fruit

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