Peanut – Health Benefits, Uses & Side Effects

Peanuts are the ultimate snack foods and people love it for their taste, long shelf life, and the budget-friendliness it shows all year.

Today, in this post, we are going to cover some of the most talked-about health benefits, side effects, and ways to use peanuts. So, without wasting any more time, let’s get started!

Health Benefits of Peanuts

The benefits of peanuts are never-ending. There is so much to discuss about peanuts but let’s mention all the top health benefits of using peanuts.

1. Peanuts lower cholesterol as it contains mono-unsaturated fatty acids. These are mostly oleic acid which is worldwide known for preventing coronary diseases.

We all know the concept of good and bad cholesterol. Peanut are known for lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.

2. Peanuts fight stomach cancer. Yes, peanuts have poly-phenolic, which are essentially anti-oxidants that are present in high-concentrations.

By reducing the production of carcinogenic nitrous-amines, peanuts can successfully reduce the risk of stomach cancer.

3. Peanuts regulate blood sugar as the presence of Manganese allows it to absorb calcium and helps to trigger fats and carbohydrates metabolism in blood.

4. Peanuts reduce the risk of weight gain. Peanuts are nutrient-rich and have a healthy amount of mono-unsaturated fats that allow your body to prepare itself for weight loss.

We highly recommend you to eat peanut or any product made of peanut every morning to reduce the chances of putting up weight.

5. Peanuts fight depression. Strange, isn’t it? Well, peanuts have the secret of stimulating the secretion of serotonin, an adequacy of which causes depression.

Peanuts prevent this as it has tryptophan which is an amino acid and it helps in serotonin secretion.

6. Peanuts provide clear skin and can remove all toxins that cause breakouts and excess oil.

Peanuts have dietary fibres present in high quantity and it can help in removing all toxins rendering your skin clear.

7. Ever heard about the anti-ageing benefits of peanuts? Peanuts are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E that are known worldwide for preventing the most visible signs of ageing like fine lines, spots, and wrinkles.

The ability to prevent ageing is also helped by resveratrol, a phytochemical which is also found in fruits.

8. Peanuts are a good source of Biotin which is vital for hair growth and maintaining the health of your scalp.

Biotin, essentially a B-vitamin is produced by our body in the intestines and is also found in many edible items. The deficiency of Biotin can lead to an unhealthy scalp and premature hair loss.

9. Peanuts can assist in your quest against hair loss by providing a large quantity of Vitamin C, the presence of which keeps the hair tissue intact and together.

Peanuts contain I-arginine which is very well known for treating male pattern baldness and promoting hair growth.

10. Last, but not the least. Peanuts are known for improving memory as they are also called ‘Brain Food’.

The high-concentration of Vitamin B3 or niacin can catalyze the brain functioning and sharpen your memory. Resveratrol, as we mentioned earlier, is a flavonoid that improves the blood flow to the brain by almost 30%.

How to Use Peanuts?

There are so many ways to use peanuts. Here, in this section, we are going to discuss some of the best ways you can use peanuts on a daily basis.

1. You can always use peanuts by mixing it with popcorn and raisins and create your own trail mix.

2. You can chop the peanuts and add them to pasta or roasted vegetables and make a crunchier garnish.

3. If you are a fan of hummus, you can give yours a nice touch by blending peanuts with lemon juice, and garlic.

4. Get some finely chopped peanuts add them to breadcrumbs and use that for coating baked chicken or fish.

5. You can make a delicious pesto by adding peanuts to fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon juice.

6. Peanut butter can be used to create kid-friendly ‘ants on a log’ by spreading it on a celery stalk and topping it with raisins.

Side Effects of Peanuts

There are, however, many side effects of eating too many peanuts in a short period of time. 

When you eat too many peanuts, the minerals and the acid content of it can disrupt the usual routine of the body and in case the peanuts you have bought are salted, you will intake a lot of sodium as well.

We have mentioned almost 10 benefits of peanuts, but if you overdo your peanut consumption, these side effects can really take a toll on your body.

1. This side effect will definitely make you consume peanuts in the safest manner possible. Excess intake of peanuts can cause weight gain. Peanuts have a high-concentration of fat and eating more than enough peanuts can really make the fat stay in your body.

2. Another great side effect of peanuts is nutrient deficiency. The presence of anti-oxidants can really drain all the important nutrients present in your body if the intake of peanuts gets more than recommended. Also, it can really mess with your metabolism.

3. Peanuts have been known for its mineral absorption issues and we really don’t want your body to suffer with that. Excess of peanuts in the body might reverse the process of mineral absorption, which can be very harmful for your health.

4. Eating too many peanuts can really disrupt your blood pressure, causing it to rise higher than it usually is.

Over to You

We hope this piece of content helped you understand the peanuts inside and out. There is so much that you can do with peanuts, the list can do on and on. Let us know what makes peanuts so special for you. We’d love to hear from you in the comments section!