Did You Know That Peanuts Are Good For Heart Disease?

October 28, 2015

Did you know that peanuts (Arachis hypogea) technically are not categorized as nuts and belong to the legume family?

And while you can have them as you like (roasted, salted or as peanut butter), make sure you include peanuts in your diet as they are packed with protein, fats, and various other nutrients that are beneficial for your health.

Peanuts contain resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant, that can reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease.^[1] Despite being high in fat, research says that peanuts do not contribute to weight gain as opposed to the popular notion that they increase weight. Observational studies show that peanut consumption can help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of obesity.^[2,3,4,5]

Peanuts For Heart Disease
Heart disease is the most common cause of premature death globally.

Studies show that consuming peanuts can protect against heart disease.^[5,6,7] They contain a number of heart-healthy nutrients such as niacin, copper, magnesium, oleic acid, and various antioxidants which are good for the heart.^[8,9,10,11]

How To Take It

Eat seven to eight peanuts daily to reduce your risk of heart disease.

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References:
1. Sales JM, Resurreccion AV. Resveratrol in peanuts. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(6):734-70. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2011.606928. Review. PubMed PMID: 24345046.

2. Moreno JP, Johnston CA, El-Mubasher AA, Papaioannou MA, Tyler C, Gee M, Foreyt JP. Peanut consumption in adolescents is associated with improved weight status. Nutr Res. 2013 Jul;33(7):552-6. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2013.05.005. Epub 2013 Jun 15. PubMed PMID: 23827129.

3. Mattes RD, Kris-Etherton PM, Foster GD. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults. J Nutr. 2008
Sep;138(9):1741S-1745S. PubMed PMID: 18716179.

4. Bes-Rastrollo M, Wedick NM, Martinez-Gonzalez MA, Li TY, Sampson L, Hu FB. Prospective study of nut consumption, long-term weight change, and obesity risk in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jun;89(6):1913-9. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.27276. Epub 2009 Apr 29. PubMed PMID: 19403639; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2683001.

5. Hu FB, Stampfer MJ. Nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a review of epidemiologic evidence. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 1999 Nov;1(3):204-9. PubMed PMID: 11122711.

6. Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Rimm EB, Colditz GA, Rosner BA, Speizer FE, Hennekens CH, Willett WC. Frequent nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in women: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 1998 Nov 14;317(7169):1341-5. PubMed PMID: 9812929; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC28714.

7. Li TY, Brennan AM, Wedick NM, Mantzoros C, Rifai N, Hu FB. Regular consumption of nuts is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women with type 2 diabetes. J Nutr. 2009 Jul;139(7):1333-8. doi: 10.3945/jn.108.103622. Epub 2009 May 6. PubMed PMID: 19420347; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2696988.

8. Nath R. Copper deficiency and heart disease: molecular basis, recent advances and current concepts. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 1997 Nov;29(11):1245-54. Review. PubMed PMID: 9451822.

9. Lavigne PM, Karas RH. The current state of niacin in cardiovascular disease prevention: a systematic review and meta-regression. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013 Jan 29;61(4):440-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2012.10.030. Epub 2012 Dec 19. PubMed PMID: 23265337.

10. Guasch-Ferré M, Bulló M, Estruch R, Corella D, Martínez-González MA, Ros E, Covas M, Arós F, Gómez-Gracia E, Fiol M, Lapetra J, Muñoz MÁ, Serra-Majem L, Babio N, Pintó X, Lamuela-Raventós RM, Ruiz-Gutiérrez V, Salas-Salvadó J; PREDIMED Study Group. Dietary magnesium intake is inversely associated with mortality in adults at high cardiovascular disease risk. J Nutr. 2014 Jan;144(1):55-60. doi: 10.3945/jn.113.183012. Epub 2013 Nov 20. PubMed PMID: 24259558.

11. Sales JM, Resurreccion AV. Resveratrol in peanuts. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(6):734-70. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2011.606928. Review. PubMed PMID: 24345046.