Peanuts, commonly known as mungfali, singdana and shengdana in Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi households, have health benefits in abundance. It is one of the widely consumed nuts in India. It is used in making chutneys, chivdas, curries and even salads. Peanut butter is trendy amongst the people who are on a diet spree. Peanuts make a wonderful evening snack.
Peanuts are loaded with vitamins and umpteen nutrients and their consumption can keep several deficiencies at bay. In school, our teacher would ask us to get peanuts in our tiffins daily for calcium intake.
To understand more about the benefits as well as the risks of peanut consumption, OnlyMyHealth interacted with Chaitali Rane, Clinical Dietician, P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai.
Nutritional Value Of Peanuts
With the help of Dietician Rane, we listed down the nutritional value of peanuts.
Per 100 grams of peanut contains:
Energy – 567 kcal
Carbohydrates – 16.13g
Protein – 25g
Fat– 39g
Benefits Of Peanuts
According to Rane, peanuts are considered as functional foods. Here’s why:
1. Coenzyme Q10 presence
This protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen, for example high altitudes and clogged arteries. Thus many colder regions have the highest consumption of peanuts.
2. Packed With Vitamins And Nutrients
Rane said, “Peanuts are also a good source of dietary fiber and provide a wide range of essential nutrients, like vitamin B, vitamin E, minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium, antioxidant minerals (selenium, manganese and copper), and also functional properties (such as flavonoids and resveratrol).”
3. The antioxidant capacity
According to a study, peanuts are an excellent source of antioxidants. The study stated that a polyphenol antioxidant present in peanuts have been found to have protective function against certain cancers and heart disease. “The biological matter in peanut seed such as vitamin E , chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, flavonoids is one of the best nuts in antioxidants profile,” Rane said.
4. Higher in unsaturated fatty acids
Peanuts are high in unsaturated fatty acids which can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles.
Also read: Peanut Versus Almond Butter: Which Is Better For Weight Loss
Concerns While Consuming Peanuts
Peanuts are loaded with health benefits, however, consuming peanuts can pose some risks as well. Following are the points explained by Dietician Rane on the risks of peanut consumption and how one should consume them.
- As peanuts are comparatively higher in fat content than protein, the overconsumption by dyslipidemic patients or hypercholesterolemia patients might elevate the parameters further.
- The high fat content can also pose a risk of hyperacidity in people with gastric issues. Thus cardiac patients and gastric patients should limit their consumption of peanuts and should eat mindfully. It is advisable to choose to have roasted or boiled preparation over fried and salted for people with gastric or cardiac issues.
- A healthy person can consume handful of one serving of 30-50g or ½ cup of peanuts in a day on an average
- Evening snacks or mid morning munching of peanuts are advisable over on a full stomach.
- One can also add a handful of peanuts with one serving of fruits to lower the sugar spikes caused by fruit.
Conclusion
Concluding, Rane said, “It has been noted that when peanuts are consumed with their skins, their antioxidant capacity doubles and roasting can at times increase this capacity. Boiling can also be a advisable way to consume peanuts to gain maximum health benefits.”