Introduction
You know how it is when you are hawking groundnuts by the roadside as a small child, and some people will be shouting "no, don't buy from that girl, groundnut go give your pikin pimples," meanwhile that same aunty will turn around and buy suya loaded with more oil than the entire groundnut basket combined. That is exactly the kind of confusion surrounding peanuts in many of our communities till today.
A wide range of persons perceive peanut to be unhealthy food. To some, peanut causes pimples yet to so many others, regular consumption of peanut leads to malaria.
Peanut is an excellent food with a high percentage of different nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Peanut is a legume we should enjoy and snack on regularly, not because of its palatability but due to its loads of nutrients.
Read on to find out why you should start consuming peanut and its products.
Table of Contents
What Is Peanut
Uses Of Peanut
Nutritive Values Of Peanut
Peanut Allergy
Health Benefit One, Anti Inflammatory Properties
Health Benefit Two, Promotes Heart Health
What Science Now Confirms About Peanuts And Heart Health
Health Benefit Three, Promotes Weight Loss
What A Clinical Trial Found About Peanuts And Weight
Health Benefit Four, Reduces Blood Sugar
Health Benefit Five, Good For The Skin
Additional Benefits Modern Research Has Uncovered
Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
What Is Peanut
Peanut is a leguminous crop belonging to the pulse family. Crops in the pulse family are enclosed in a pod or pulse like case.
Examples of other crops belonging to the pulse family are peas, soybean, cowpeas, beans, and cocoa, et cetera.
It is clearer now, right?
Leguminous crops are generally proteinous in nature, hence they contribute to the recommended daily intake of protein, 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, when consumed.
Peanut is quite different from tree nuts. While most tree nuts are enclosed in fruits, peanuts are enclosed in shells. Tree nuts are harder than peanuts.
Other names for peanut include goobers, earthnut, or groundnuts.
Every child growing up in Nigeria has one memory or the other tied to roasted groundnut wrapped in old newspaper, bought from that woman with the tray balanced perfectly on her head. That crunch, that aroma, that memory, all of it is more than nostalgia, it is actually good nutrition disguised as a common street snack.
Uses Of Peanut
Image Suggestion: Jars of homemade peanut butter alongside sliced bread, showing peanut spread used in place of butter and mayonnaise. Alt text: homemade peanut butter jar with bread representing healthy uses of peanut spread
Peanut is used as a spread on bread, sandwiches and salad.
Peanut can be processed into puree alongside other ingredients to produce peanut butter.
Peanut butter can serve as the best substitute for salad cream, butter, and mayonnaise for anyone mindful of their health.
Although peanut contains saturated fats, its polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats content are far greater than saturated fats, roughly 100 percent to 20 percent.
Hence, peanut butter is the best substitute for salad cream and mayonnaise.
Are you concerned about your heart health? If yes, all you need to do is replace butter, salad cream and mayonnaise with peanut butter.
Peanut serves as a thickener for making soup
Groundnut soup is a popular delicacy in some parts of the world.
It is a basic ingredient for making soup enjoyed by some tribes.
This soup is prepared by grinding dried peanut into powder or puree which acts as a thickener for the soup.
This is another way to put that extra peanut in your cupboard into use. Or perhaps, a good way of having varieties of healthy meals at your disposal. What do you think?
Any Calabar woman worth her salt will tell you, groundnut soup without the right groundnut base is not groundnut soup at all. That thick, rich, nutty flavor comes straight from real, properly processed peanut, and that same soup you have been enjoying for years is quietly loading your body with protein and healthy fat.
Peanuts are used as snacks
Peanut is one of the commonest snacks enjoyed by all. It can be eaten raw or cooked, boiled or roasted. Peanut can as well be processed into peanut butter. These snacks are relished by almost everyone. I am sure you are not an exception.
Peanuts are used for cooking purposes
Peanut contains a high percentage of oil which is extracted and used for cooking purposes like frying, baking and grilling.
Peanuts can be processed into other products
Peanuts can be processed into flour which is used as a composite flour along with other types of flour in confectionery.
I bet you would love to try this out.
Also, peanut flour can be used for supplementing foods low in protein content.
Peanut hulls can be processed into animal feeds, beddings, fertilizers.
Peanut oil may serve as a lubricant for food grade milling and grinding machines.
Nutritive Values Of Peanut
It is quite obvious there are varieties of snacks and convenient foods on grocery shelves available for human consumption.
But this begs the question, how healthy and nutritious are these foods?
Peanut is loaded with beneficial nutrients necessary for maintaining good health.
However, majority of consumers lack this knowledge.
Nutritive values of 1 ounce of raw peanut
Calories, 161 Kcal
Fats
Saturated fatty acids, 1.8g
Monounsaturated fatty acids, 6.9g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids, 4.4g
Protein, 7.3g
Dietary fiber, 2.4g
Total carbohydrate, 4.6g
Total fats, 14g
Vitamins
Vitamin E, 2.4mg
Folate, 68mcg
Niacin, 3.4mg
Thiamine, 0.18mg
Riboflavin, 0.04mg
Cholesterol, Absent
Pantothenic acids, 0.5mg
Vitamin B6, 0.1mg
Minerals
Zinc, 0.93mg
Copper, 0.32mg
Selenium, 2mcg
Magnesium, 48mg
Phosphorus, 107mg
Potassium, 200mg
Calcium, 26mg
Sodium, 5mg
Iron, 1.3mg
Arginine, 0.88mg
And so many other essential fatty acids.
Peanut Allergy
Allergy is a condition whereby someone's immune system becomes hypersensitive or reacts abnormally to some foods and substances that do not disturb other people.
The substances causing this reaction are called allergens.
Even in our own communities, though not as common as in some Western countries, some children do react to groundnut, sneezing, itching, or worse. If you notice your child reacts unusually after eating groundnut, please do not manage it at home, go and see a doctor immediately. This one is not something to play with.
Health Benefit One, Anti Inflammatory Properties
Some terminal diseases are hinged on the inflammation mechanism. The higher the rate of inflammation in one's body system, the higher the possibility of being exposed to chronic diseases.
What most folks do not know is that the kind of food taken contributes greatly to increased inflammation of the body cells.
Loads of nutrients in peanuts position it as a good anti inflammatory food.
Linolenic acids, omega 6 fatty acids, have been shown to reduce inflammation.
Low glycemic index food reduces inflammation, and peanut is actually one of such low glycemic index foods, a small correction to note here that peanut sits far on the low end of the glycemic scale, scoring around 14 out of a possible 100, which is actually one of the lowest scores among common foods.
Studies show that low levels of magnesium in the body tend to promote inflammation. Now you know, find a way of including peanut in your diet since it is a good source of magnesium.
Health Benefit Two, Promotes Heart Health
Peanut contains more good fats, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, than bad fat, saturated fatty acids. As such, peanut is very good for the heart. The unsaturated fatty acids help in removing LDL cholesterol from the blood. These good fats do not clog arterial walls. In other words, consumption of at most 42 grams of peanut daily will go a long way in promoting a healthy heart.
What Science Now Confirms About Peanuts And Heart Health
Beyond the fat composition already explained above, modern research has uncovered even more reasons why groundnut is good for your heart. Peanuts contain a compound called resveratrol, the same antioxidant famously found in red wine, and research has shown that resveratrol has a positive effect on inflammation in the vascular lining and its overall function.
An increased concentration of resveratrol has also been linked to a reduction in the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, whose high levels are associated with hardening of the arteries and coronary artery disease.
A large scale analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who ate peanuts and other nuts frequently had a significant reduction in total mortality risk, especially from heart disease.
This is not a small finding, it comes from tracking large numbers of people over years, and it confirms exactly what our elders already suspected when they gave groundnut soup to people recovering from illness.
A randomized controlled trial published in Nutrients also found that adding peanuts to a weight loss diet produced greater reductions in systolic blood pressure compared to a traditional low fat diet, which may further lower cardiovascular disease risk. So the next time somebody tells you groundnut is bad for your heart, you can confidently correct them with proper evidence.
Health Benefit Three, Promotes Weight Loss
Eating peanuts promotes weight loss.
I have seen people who want to lose weight complain they do not eat groundnuts because, according to them, it aids weight gain.
Well, that is a fallacy. Peanut does the inverse.
As a result of its wonderful nutrients, good fats, proteins, fiber, and low carbohydrate, et cetera.
These nutrients make one feel filled for a longer time before the next meal. In particular, the fat and protein in peanut bring about satiety.
What A Clinical Trial Found About Peanuts And Weight
I know some of you are still skeptical, thinking this na just talk talk, but let me show you actual clinical evidence. A randomized controlled trial published in Nutrients in 2022 gave one group of overweight adults 35 grams of lightly salted, dry roasted peanuts before two main meals daily, while another group followed a traditional low fat weight loss diet.
After six months, there was no difference in weight loss between the two groups, meaning peanuts did not cause extra weight gain even when eaten regularly as part of a restricted diet. In fact, the peanut group experienced greater reductions in systolic blood pressure, an added bonus beyond just the weight numbers.
Other research has found that eating peanuts about 30 minutes before a meal increases satiety and a sense of fullness, helping to prevent overeating later. So instead of avoiding groundnut because you fear weight gain, you might actually want to snack on a small handful before your main meal to help you eat less overall.
Health Benefit Four, Reduces Blood Sugar
You have heard that peanut has a low glycemic index.
What this simply means is that peanut is not easily metabolized into sugar in the body, hence it does not soar blood sugar like most cereal foods do.
The fiber in peanut contributes greatly to this process because it slows down the digestion of peanut.
Diabetic patients who consumed peanut daily were able to manage their blood sugar better than those who did not savour on peanut.
Peanuts also contain all 20 amino acids and have one of the highest natural sources of arginine, an amino acid associated with improved blood flow, immune system support, and gastrointestinal protection.
If you have a family member managing diabetes, encouraging them to include a small portion of groundnut in their diet, paired with vegetables and lean protein, is a wise, evidence backed choice.
Health Benefit Five, Good For The Skin
I know you already know that vitamin E is good for healthy skin.
But are you also aware that peanut contains a good amount of this vitamin?
Yes, it does.
Peanut nourishes the skin and hair, big time.
Additional Benefits Modern Research Has Uncovered
Beyond everything already covered, newer research has found even more reasons to keep groundnut close to your kitchen shelf.
Peanuts contain compounds that may help prevent gallstones, since uncontrolled cholesterol is one of the causes of gallstone formation, and peanuts have been shown to help manage cholesterol levels within the body.
A 2024 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that regular nut intake, including peanuts, may be linked to better memory, attention, and cognitive performance in adults, though the researchers note this is still an early and developing area of study.
Peanuts also contain phenolic acids and flavonoids, plant compounds thought to have protective qualities against cancer and heart disease, further strengthening the case for keeping this humble legume as a regular part of your meals.
Key Takeaways
Peanut is a leguminous crop, not a tree nut, and belongs to the same pulse family as beans, peas, soybean, and cowpeas, making it naturally rich in plant based protein.
Contrary to popular myths in many communities, groundnut does not cause pimples or malaria, and research strongly supports its role in protecting rather than harming the heart.
Peanut has a low glycemic index, scoring around 14 out of 100, meaning it does not spike blood sugar the way many cereal and starchy foods do, making it a good option for people managing diabetes.
A six month randomized controlled trial found that eating peanuts before meals did not lead to extra weight gain, and actually resulted in greater blood pressure improvements compared to a traditional low fat diet.
Peanut is rich in resveratrol, vitamin E, magnesium, and healthy unsaturated fats, all of which support heart health, reduced inflammation, and glowing skin.
Anyone with a peanut allergy should avoid consumption entirely and seek immediate medical attention if a reaction occurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does eating groundnut really cause pimples?
No, there is no scientific evidence linking peanut consumption to acne or pimples in the general population. This is a common myth in many communities. Skin breakouts are typically caused by hormonal changes, poor skin hygiene, or in some cases specific dietary triggers unique to an individual, not a general food category like peanuts.
2. Can eating peanuts really cause malaria?
No, this is not supported by any scientific evidence. Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Peanut consumption has absolutely no connection to malaria transmission or risk.
3. Are peanuts actually good for weight loss or do they cause weight gain?
Despite the common fear that peanuts cause weight gain due to their fat content, research actually shows the opposite for most people. A six month randomized controlled trial found that including peanuts as part of a calorie controlled diet resulted in weight loss comparable to a traditional low fat diet, with the added benefit of greater blood pressure reduction. The protein, fiber, and healthy fat in peanuts promote satiety, helping people eat less overall.
4. Is peanut good for people with diabetes?
Yes. Peanut has a low glycemic index, meaning it does not cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Its fiber content slows digestion, and studies have found that diabetic patients who regularly consume peanut are better able to manage their blood sugar levels compared to those who avoid it.
5. How much peanut should I eat daily for heart health benefits?
Research suggests that consuming up to about 42 grams, roughly a small handful, of peanut daily is associated with meaningful heart health benefits, including help removing LDL cholesterol from the blood. As with any food, moderation matters, since peanuts are calorie dense.
6. Is peanut butter a healthy substitute for butter and mayonnaise? Yes, particularly natural peanut butter with minimal added ingredients. Because peanut contains significantly more unsaturated healthy fat than saturated fat, substituting peanut butter for butter, salad cream, or mayonnaise can be a heart healthier choice, provided the peanut butter itself does not contain excessive added sugar or hydrogenated oils.
7. What should I do if I suspect a peanut allergy?
Peanut allergies can range from mild to severe and, in rare cases, can be life threatening. If you or your child experience symptoms like itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, or hives after eating peanut, seek medical attention immediately rather than attempting to manage it at home. A doctor can properly diagnose and guide you on safe dietary management going forward.
8. Can peanuts really help with brain function?
Early research suggests a possible connection. A 2024 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that regular nut consumption, including peanuts, may be linked to better memory, attention, and cognitive performance in adults. This research area is still developing, but the vitamin E, niacin, and healthy fat content in peanuts do support overall brain and nerve function.
Conclusion
My people, it is time we stop believing every old story passed down without checking it against proper evidence. Groundnut, that same humble crop our mothers roasted over firewood and sold by the roadside, is standing tall today, backed by proper scientific research, as one of the most nutritious, heart friendly, blood sugar friendly foods available to us. From reducing inflammation to supporting weight management, protecting your heart, and even nourishing your skin, peanut has earned its place on your plate.
So the next time somebody tries to discourage you from eating groundnut because of pimples or malaria nonsense, you now know better. Enjoy your peanut, your groundnut soup, your peanut butter on bread, in good moderation, and let your heart, your skin, and your blood sugar thank you for it.
Sources
United States Department of Agriculture (2018). Peanut Nutrition Data. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
Petersen, K.S., Murphy, J., Whitbread, J., Clifton, P.M., and Keogh, J.B. (2022). The Effect of a Peanut Enriched Weight Loss Diet Compared to a Low Fat Weight Loss Diet on Body Weight, Blood Pressure, and Glycemic Control, A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 14(14), 2986. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14142986
RHO Nutrition (November 2024). Are Peanuts Good For Weight Loss, The Latest Info 2024. https://www.rho.org/nutrition/weight-management/are-peanuts-good-for-weight-loss/
GymBeam Blog (May 2024). Peanuts And Everything You Need To Know About Them. https://gymbeam.
Waaw.... I really love peanuts though never knew of these benefits, thanks a lot
ReplyDeleteWow. Nice info
DeleteWelcome
Delete