Hello readers, with the winter season on its peak you might see street vendors selling peanuts and groundnuts. This specific dry fruit only comes in winter and is really healthy. Peanuts grow in a very fascinating manner. They actually start out as an above ground flower that, due to its heavy weight, bends towards the ground. The flower eventually burrows underground, which is where the peanut actually matures. People use peanuts in the form of butter as well. There are several health benefits of peanuts especially in winters. But let’s consider the nutritional value of this dry fruit first:
Calories 567
Total Fat 49 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 18 mg
Potassium 705 mg
Total Carbohydrate 16 g
Protein 26 g
The health benefits provided by peanuts are given below:
Healthy Heart:
Peanuts are rich in monounsaturated fats and these fats are a part of heart healthy Mediterranean diet. Peanuts are considered to be really healthy for heart.
In addition to their monounsaturated fat content, peanuts feature an array of other nutrients that, in numerous studies, have been shown to promote heart health. Peanuts are good sources of vitamin E, niacin, folate, protein and manganese.
Also, peanuts provide resveratrol, the phenolic antioxidant also found in red grapes and red wine.
More Antioxidants Than Fruits:
Not only do 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.
While unable to boast an antioxidant content that can compare with the fruits highest in antioxidants, such as pomegranate, roasted peanuts do rival the antioxidant content of blackberries and strawberries, and are far richer in antioxidants than apples, carrots or beets.
No More 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. Since 1 ounce is only 28.6 nuts or about 2 tablespoons of nut butter, preventing gallbladder disease may be as easy as packing one peanut butter and jelly sandwich (be sure to use whole wheat bread for its fiber, vitamins and minerals) for lunch each week, having a handful of peanuts as an afternoon pick me up, or tossing some peanuts on your oatmeal or salad.
Lower 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.
Don’t let concerns about gaining weight prevent you from enjoying the delicious taste and many health benefits of nuts!
- Spread some nut butter on your morning toast or bagel.
- Remember how many great childhood lunches involved a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Upgrade that lunchbox favorite by spreading organic peanut butter and concord grape jelly on whole wheat bread.
- Fill a celery stick with nut butter for an afternoon pick-me-up.
- Sprinkle a handful of nuts over your morning cereal, lunchtime salad, dinner’s steamed vegetables.
- Or just enjoy a handful of lightly roasted nuts as a healthy snack.
Other Benefits of Peanuts:
- They help in keeping you warm in winter season.
- Reduced risk of stroke.
- Nutrients found in peanuts which include folic acid phytosterols, phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphate) and resveratrol, may have anticancer effects.