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Thursday, 06-Mar-2008
All About Peanuts
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) affirmed a health claim that peanuts and other nuts may reduce the risk of heart disease when consumed daily in small amounts. This action is based on a large body of epidemiological and clinical studies showing a 25-50% reduction in the risk of heart disease when 1 to 2 ounces of peanuts or nuts are consumed 5 or more times a week.

The approved claim says "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts, such as peanuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. See nutrition information for fat content." One of the strongest studies presented to FDA was a six-month controlled study done at Pennsylvania State University, which showed that diets that included peanuts and peanut butter daily reduced the risk of heart disease by 21% as compared to the average American diet and by 12% compared to a low-fat diet. Subjects following the "peanut diet" lowered total cholesterol by 11% and the bad LDL cholesterol by 14%. Triglycerides were also lowered but the good HDL cholesterol was maintained. (1)

Data from The Nurses' Study has shown that substituting peanuts and nuts for saturated fat can reduce risk of heart disease by 45% or 30% when substituted for refined carbohydrate.

Peanuts are also a good way to consume many other beneficial micronutrients in the diet. In addition to containing over 75 percent good unsaturated fat, peanuts are a good source of fiber, as well as vitamin E, folate, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, all which are thought to be important to health. For example, a recent study done at Purdue University showed that subjects with low levels of magnesium in their blood were brought up into normal ranges when they ate peanuts every day.

Like all plant foods, peanuts and nuts are cholesterol-free. Peanuts also contain bioactive components such as resveratrol (the substance also found in red wine), beta sitosterol, flavonoids, and antioxidants, the benefits of which nutrition scientists are only beginning to discover.

NUTTY TRIVIA

•The peanut isn't actually a nut; it's a bean that grows underground like potatoes.

•The peanut is also called a groundnut or is sometimes referred to as a 'goober nut', from the Congo name 'nguba'.

•One of the world's most famous peanut farmers is former US President Jimmy Carter.

•An American botanist developed more than 300 uses for peanuts, including an alternative to shoe polish and toothpaste.

•Peanut butter was invented by an American doctor in 1890 to provide a nutritious and easily digested food for his elderly patients.

•An Australian inventor is said to have devised a car which runs on peanut butter.

•Surveys have revealed that men prefer smooth peanut butter while women opt for crunchy.

•Peanuts have even gone into space. Astronaut Allen B.Shepherd took some on his Apollo mission to the moon.

•The world record for eating 100 peanuts, one at a time, is 59.2 seconds.

(source: peanut-institute.org)

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