Benefits of Peanuts
Peanuts are members of the highly nutritious legume family. They are also referred to as earthnuts, goobers and groundnuts. Peanuts have several varieties and the most common ones as Virginia, Valencia and Spanish varieties. Apart from being used to manufacture margarine, soap and cooking oil, peanuts have many other health benefits.
1. Control cholesterol levels
Peanuts are the best snack for diabetics and people with high cholesterol. They have a high niacin content, which is known for lowering triglycerides and increasing levels of HDL cholesterol. Peanuts also contain resveratrol, which is believed to prevent or slow arterial plaque formation.
2. Provide energy
Peanuts have an important benefit of providing the body instant energy. In fact, most energy bars contain high peanut content due to this reason. It is commonly used by body builders for the provision of energy. It also has high protein content, making it highly beneficial for underweight and weak people.
3. Increase heart health
Adding peanut butter or peanuts to your diet can considerably increase the levels of magnesium, fiber, arginine and vitamin E. All of the aforementioned nutrients are key factors in heart disease prevention. Peanuts also contain monounsaturated fats that prevent formation of bad cholesterol. This helps in reducing a person’s risk of getting heart-related complications.
4. Diabetes
For people with diabetes or insulin resistant, then peanuts could possibly assist in controlling blood sugar. Peanuts assist in regulating the increase of insulin and sugar levels. Since they also contain manganese, peanuts aid in the formation of insulin and this makes them suitable for diabetics.
5. Prevent cancer
Peanuts are rich in vital antioxidants that guard the body against free radicals that cause heart problems and cancer. P-coumaric acid, which is the key antioxidant, lowers risk of colon and stomach cancer.
Nevertheless, the disadvantage of peanuts is that they have high calorie content and they can cause considerable weight gain if consumed in excess.
