Peanuts: 5 benefits of peanuts that you cannot miss

Peanuts (or peanuts) are nuts that have important benefits and properties, in addition to being very rich in healthy fats. Do you want to discover them? We talk to you about its most important qualities.

As with any dried fruit, peanuts should be part of any healthy and balanced diet if we are looking to strengthen our cardiovascular health and ultimately gain quality of life.  Especially if we take into account that we have already started the routine again after the summer and now the autumn has started strong with a sharp drop in temperatures.

But before getting fully into the matter, we are going to tell you some curiosities about peanuts that are sure to surprise more than one. First of all, it should be noted that ‘arachis hypogaea’ is a pod-shaped fruit that belongs to the legume family.

They have their origin in South America more than seven thousand years ago in the Mexican area Tenochtitlan. In fact, the Aztecs already consumed peanuts before the conquest of America and it was the Spaniards themselves who exported them to all of Europe so that they could later be planted in all regions of the planet. The original name of this peanut was ‘tlalcacahuatl’ which means something like ‘cacao from the earth’.

What are the benefits of peanuts?

After having made this first summary about the origins of peanuts, through the following point we are going to delve into all the benefits that the consumption of this crunchy dried fruit brings us for our health:

Antioxidants to prevent cancer

Numerous nutritional studies have concluded that consuming at least 30 grams of peanuts per day reduces the risk of breast cancer by almost three, a disease that strikes women of any age and condition.

This is because all these antioxidants and fatty acids are the most beneficial to strengthen our entire immune system and to directly attack cancer cells thanks to the substance known as beta-sistoterol that is so present in these fruits.

They prevent cardiovascular diseases

Did you know that peanuts are made of almost 75% monounsaturated fatty acids? We do not have to tell you that this component can become a great ally to treat some cardiovascular diseases such as high cholesterol.

For this reason, the consumption of this peanut will make us less exposed to heart attacks and will also strengthen all the muscles of our heart.

Very beneficial for diabetics

Peanuts completely roasted and without added sugars are also a fruit to take into account for all those people who suffer from diabetes.

This is because it is a food that has a really low glycemic index so it can be consumed without problems, always having the peace of mind that the glucose levels are not going to skyrocket. All this while we get a shot of extra energy and ingest all kinds of nutrients such as those that we will describe from the next point.

High content of vitamins and minerals

It seems incredible that this dried fruit contains all kinds of vitamins and minerals of all kinds. Among them, it should be noted that vitamin B1 (also known as thiamine) is highly recommended so that our bones and organs always grow stronger.

For its part, the peanut also has all kinds of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc that are most beneficial for our entire body.

They promote concentration

If you are in a job that requires great concentration or you are in a time of intense study, we assure you that peanuts will help you strengthen your brain since they are able to keep the central and peripheral nervous system active.

Likewise, it has been shown that peanuts also prevent senile diseases and lift our spirits after having suffered any kind of stress and anxiety, as occurs with chocolate.

Nutritional properties of peanuts

As we have seen, from a nutritional point of view, peanuts are considered as the nuts that have the most vitamin B3 (15.3 mg / 100 g.) And folic acid, being at the same time very rich in protein, since 50 grams they cover a quarter of daily needs.

This means that, for example, a moderate intake of peanuts is a good supplement during pregnancy, in which there are certain nutritional needs.

However, we must not forget either that it is a valuable source of monounsaturated fats (approximately 58%), as well as polyunsaturated fats (26%).

As we mentioned at the beginning of this note, it must be taken into account that they are very caloric, so it is not advisable to abuse their consumption, especially because they are not always well digested.

The nuts tend to be relatively good health food, especially for the heart because they help to reduce the level of bad cholesterol, and controlling both hypertension and glucose itself.

And remember something fundamental…

It is very important to always eat roasted nuts without added salt, and above all,  never fried, since in this way we can enjoy all their nutritional qualities with peace of mind, without adding more fat or calories than those contained in the food itself. Same.

What’s more,  we should especially avoid fried peanuts, since in most cases the most common thing is that they have been fried in refined or unhealthy oils (as with  palm oil ), and we will also provide very dangerous trans fats. For our cardiovascular health.