Worth More Than Peanuts!

Worth More Than Peanuts!

The  modern domesticated Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a leguminous  herbaceous perennial from the tropics and subtropics that is thought to  be a hybrid between two wild species, A. duranensis and A. ipaensis.

Today  there are several cultivars and landraces of peanut that are in  cultivation, and the cultivation of Peanuts can improve soil due to  their natural ability to “fix” nitrogen.

The  Peanut flowers are born near the ground, are yellow and last for just  one day, and then after fertilization a stalk elongates into the ground  with the ovary and develops into what we know as the peanut pod.

The Peanuts (seeds) can be eaten raw, but are more typically roasted, boiled or ground into a powder before consumption.

Of  course, many of us know and eat Peanuts in the butter form, but they  are also often added as a powder to cereals to improve the protein  content.

The roasted seeds have been  used as a coffee substitute, the young leaves and shoots have also been  consumed as cooked vegetables.

Peanuts  are also considered good sources of niacin, folate, vitamin E,  magnesium, manganese, but their main claim to fame is for their high  amount of protein—among the highest of all nuts!

As  Peanuts are one of the top allergens in the world, they are also  considered dangerous for certain allergic individuals. Tolerance  induction strategies are working to improve this.

People  have been eating Peanuts for thousands of years in South America and  although their main role is as a nutritive food, they have also occupied  a small niche in traditional health systems.

For  example, in traditional Chinese medicine, Peanuts are thought to  improve the appetite, lubricate the lungs, counter insomnia, promote  diuresis, regulate the blood and strengthen the spleen. Peanut roots,  leaves and stem are used for several conditions, such as insomnia,  prostate enlargement and inflammation.

In  one preclinical study, a Peanut stem and leaf extract, similar to what  is used in China as a sleep aid, was found to indeed increase sleep  behavior, possibly through GABA-gated channel mechanisms.

Due  to their low carb and good fat and protein content, Peanuts have been  investigated and found to possibly help with maintaining healthy weight.  Other studies have found potential roles in gallstone prevention with  regular peanut consumption, and cardiovascular support benefits.

Besides  their straight nutritive value, Peanuts also contain some interesting  health-promoting phytochemicals—such as stilbenes, flavonoids, phenolic  acids, plant sterols—and few realize they are one of the top food  sources of resveratrol!

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*This post is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, cure or treat any disease.

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