Product Description

Groundnuts (Peanuts) an herbaceous annual plant in the family Fabaceae grown for its oil and edible nuts. Peanut plants are small, usually erect, thin stemmed plants with feather-like leaves. The leaves are arranged in alternate pairs and have leaf-like attachments near the stalk. The peanut plant produces yellow, orange, cream or white flowers which produce 'pegs', characteristic floral structures which sink into the ground to grow the pod. The pods can reach up to *0 cm (4 in) in length and can contain between 1 and 5 seeds. The peanut plant can reach 0.6 m (2 ft) in height depending on the variety and as an annual plant, survives only one growing season. Peanut may also be referred to as groundnut



Uses 

Most commercially grown peanuts are used for the extraction of their oil which is used in cooking. The by product of oil extraction is a pressed cake which is used as an animal feed and also in the production of peanut flour. Raw kernels are also commonly roasted and eaten as a snack food. 



Fat in peanuts



Peanuts are high in fat.



In fact, they are classified as oilseeds. A large proportion of the world?s peanut harvest is used for making peanut oil (arachis oil).



The fat content ranges from *4?*6% and mainly consists of mono- and polyunsaturated fat, most of which is made up of oleic and linoleic acids (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).



SUMMARY

Peanuts are high in fat, consisting mostly of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are often used to make peanut oil.





NUTRITION

Evidence Based

Peanuts **1: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits



Written by Atli Arnarson BSc, PhD on May 7, ***9

Nutrition

Fat

Protein

Carbs

Vitamins & minerals

Plant compounds

Weight loss

Benefits

Downsides

Bottom line

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are a legume that originated in South America.



They go by a variety of names, such as groundnuts, earthnuts, and goobers.



Despite their name, peanuts are unrelated to tree nuts. As a legume, they?re related to beans, lentils, and soy.



In the United States, peanuts are rarely eaten raw. Instead, they are most often consumed roasted or as peanut butter.



Other peanut products include peanut oil, flour, and protein. These goods are used in a variety of foods, such as desserts, cakes, confectionery, snacks, and sauces.



Peanuts are rich in protein, fat, and various healthy nutrients. Studies show that peanuts may even be useful for weight loss and are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.



This article tells you everything you need to know about peanuts.





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Nutrition facts



Here are the nutrition facts for 3.5 (**0 grams) of raw peanuts:



Calories: **7

Water: 7%

Protein: *5.8 grams

Carbs: *6.1 grams

Sugar: 4.7 grams

Fiber: 8.5 grams

Fat: *9.2 grams

Saturated: 6.*8 grams

Monounsaturated: *4.*3 grams

Polyunsaturated: *5.*6 grams

Omega*3: 0 grams

Omega*6: *5.*6 grams

Trans: 0 grams

SUMMARY

Peanuts are packed with healthy fats and high-quality protein. They?re also fairly high in calories.



Fat in peanuts



Peanuts are high in fat.



In fact, they are classified as oilseeds. A large proportion of the world?s peanut harvest is used for making peanut oil (arachis oil).



The fat content ranges from *4?*6% and mainly consists of mono- and polyunsaturated fat, most of which is made up of oleic and linoleic acids (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).



SUMMARY

Peanuts are high in fat, consisting mostly of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are often used to make peanut oil.



Peanut proteins



Peanuts are a good source of protein.



The protein content ranges from *2?*0% of its total calories, making peanuts a great source of plant-based protein (1, 3, 4).



The most abundant proteins in peanuts, arachin and conarachin, can be severely allergenic to some people, causing life-threatening reactions (5).



SUMMARY

For a plant food, peanuts are an exceptionally good source of protein. Keep in mind that some people are allergic to peanut protein.



Carbs



Peanuts are low in carbs.



In fact, the carb content is only about *3?*6% of the total weight (4, 6).



Being low in carbs and high in protein, fat, and fiber, peanuts have a very low glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of how quickly carbs enter your bloodstream after a meal (7).



This makes them suitable for people with diabetes.



SUMMARY

Peanuts are low in carbs. This makes them a good dietary choice for people with diabetes





Vitamins and minerals



Peanuts are an excellent source of various vitamins and minerals, including (6):



Biotin. Peanuts are one of the richest dietary sources of biotin, which is important during pregnancy (8, 9).

Copper. A dietary trace mineral, copper is often low in the Western diet. Deficiency may have adverse effects on heart health (*0).

Niacin. Also known as vitamin B3, niacin has various important functions in your body. It has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease (*1).

Folate. Also known as vitamin B9 or folic acid, folate has many essential functions and is especially important during pregnancy (*2).

Manganese. A trace element, manganese is found in drinking water and most foods.

Vitamin E. A powerful antioxidant, this vitamin is often found in high amounts in fatty foods.

Thiamine. One of the B vitamins, thiamine is also known as vitamin B1. It helps your body?s cells convert carbs into energy and is essential for the function of your heart, muscles, and nervous system.

Phosphorus. Peanuts are a good source of phosphorus, a mineral that plays an essential role in the growth and maintenance of body tissues.

Magnesium. An essential dietary mineral with various important functions, sufficient magnesium intake is believed to protect against heart disease (*3).

SUMMARY

Peanuts are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals. These include biotin, copper, niacin, folate, manganese, vitamin E, thiamine, phosphorus, and magnesium.



Other plant compounds



Peanuts contain various bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants.



In fact, they?re as rich in antioxidants as many fruits (*4).



Most of the antioxidants are located in peanut skin, which is eaten only when peanuts are raw (*5).



That said, peanut kernels still include:



p-Coumaric acid. This polyphenol is one of the main antioxidants in peanuts (*4, *6).

Resveratrol. A powerful antioxidant that may reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, resveratrol is most notably found in red wine (*7).

Isoflavones. A class of antioxidant polyphenols, isoflavones are associated with a variety of health effects (*8).

Phytic acid. Found in plant seeds, including nuts, phytic acid may impair the absorption of iron and zinc from peanuts and other foods eaten at the same time (*9).

Phytosterols. Peanut oil contains considerable amounts of phytosterols, which impair the absorption of cholesterol from your digestive tract (*6, *0).

SUMMARY

Peanuts contain various plant compounds. These include antioxidants, such as coumaric acid and resveratrol, as well as antinutrients like phytic acid.





Weight loss



Peanuts have been widely studied with regard to weight maintenance.



Despite being high in fat and calories, peanuts do not appear to contribute to weight gain (*1).



In fact, observational studies have shown that peanut consumption may help maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of obesity (*2, *3, *4, *5).



These studies are all observational, which means that they cannot prove causation.



However, one small, *-month study in healthy women suggested that when other sources of fat in a low-fat diet were replaced with peanuts, they lost 6.6 pounds (3 kg) despite being told to maintain their initial weight (*6).



Another study found that when 3 (*9 grams) of peanuts were added to the daily diet of healthy adults for 8 weeks, they did not gain as much weight as expected (*7).



Various factors make peanuts a weight-loss-friendly food:



They reduce food intake by promoting fullness to a greater extent than other common snacks, such as rice cakes (*7, *8).

Because of how filling peanuts are, people appear to compensate for increased peanut consumption by eating less of other foods (*7).

When whole peanuts are not chewed well enough, a portion of them may pass through your digestive system without being absorbed (*7, *9).

The high content of protein and monounsaturated fat in peanuts may increase calorie burning (*9, *0).

Peanuts are a source of insoluble dietary fiber, which is linked to a reduced risk of weight gain (*1, *2).

SUMMARY

Peanuts are very filling and can be considered an effective component of a weight loss diet.





Other health benefits of peanuts



In addition to being a weight-loss-friendly food, peanuts are associated with several other health benefits.



Heart health



Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.



Observational studies indicate that eating peanuts, as well as other types of nuts, may protect against heart disease (*5, *3, *4).



These benefits are likely the result of various factors (*5, *6, *7).



Notably, peanuts contain a number of heart-healthy nutrients. These include magnesium, niacin, copper, oleic acid, and multiple antioxidants, such as resveratrol (*0, *1, *3, *7).



Gallstone prevention



Gallstones affect approximately *0?*5% of adults in the United States (*8).



Two observational studies suggest that frequent peanut consumption may cut the risk of gallstones in both men and women (*8, *9).



As most gallstones are largely composed of cholesterol, the cholesterol-lowering effect of peanuts may be the cause (*0).



Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.



SUMMARY

As a source of many heart-healthy nutrients, peanuts may help prevent heart disease. What?s more, they may cut your risk of gallstones.