All you need to know about PEANUTS!

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NikkiDerrig386
NikkiDerrig386 Posts: 1,096 Member
in Food and Nutrition
While many people know peanuts are beneficial for their health, some are wary of eating too many because of the high fat content. In fact, some even ask the question, ‘are peanuts healthy?’

While it’s true to say there’s more fat in a peanut butter sandwich than in a McDonald’s cheeseburger, peanut butter is certainly not a dietary evil.

Overall, the nutritional composition of peanuts is extremely good, with most of the peanut’s fat being monounsaturated. They also provide an excellent source of protein, vitamin E, and fibre (which is more than we can say for the cheeseburger!).
In fact, research confirms that eating a portion of peanuts, or peanut butter, every day may help reduce the risk of heart disease, type II diabetes and gallbladder disease, without the risk of weight gain.


10 interesting facts about peanuts…
1.Peanuts are not nuts. These are actually a pulse and belongs in the legume family along with peas, beans and lentils.
2.Peanuts grow under the ground, not on trees.
3.Peanuts, peanut butter and peanut oil are excellent sources of heart-healthy unsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil. More than 75% of the total fat content is unsaturated.
4.Peanuts are 25% protein.
5.Peanuts contain resveratrol, plant sterols and other phytochemicals which research is indicating have cardio-protective and cancer inhibiting properties.
6.Peanuts and peanut butter contain beneficial minerals such as zinc, magnesium, copper and selenium.
7.Peanuts and peanut butter contain B-vitamins, folate and Vitamin E.
8.Peanuts and peanut butter are natural sources of soluble and insoluble fibre.
9.Peanuts and peanut butter are plant foods and contain no cholesterol.
10.Peanuts have a very low glycaemic index (14).

Replies

  • thirteenblessings
    thirteenblessings Posts: 51
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    Good to know! I love peanut butter. If I may comment though, I am sure all of these wonderful stats come from natural or grind your own peanut butter. I'm sure the commercial "regular" PB's that are sold at grocery stores don't qualify because they are loaded with sugar.
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    Good to know! I love peanut butter. If I may comment though, I am sure all of these wonderful stats come from natural or grind your own peanut butter. I'm sure the commercial "regular" PB's that are sold at grocery stores don't qualify because they are loaded with sugar.

    Laura Scudder's has no sugar! :) yay! That's the only kind I'll buy.

    Although, we recently switched over to almond butter and I don't think we'll ever go back.
  • jhoffman27
    jhoffman27 Posts: 55 Member
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    I loooove peanut butter, as a matter of fact I just had some with an apple. I get the Smart Balance peanut butter. Any kind you have to stir before eating is good though, better than those ones loaded with sugar.
  • NikkiDerrig386
    NikkiDerrig386 Posts: 1,096 Member
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    LMAO I just had some peanuts :) mmmmmmmm I posted that bc I was doing research. This girl at work joined this boot camp thing and part of her diet plan is no peanuts! Sorry but diet plans like that are useless to me. Strict = FAILURE in my opinion bc thats not a realistic approach to a diet/lifestyle change.
  • thirteenblessings
    thirteenblessings Posts: 51
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    I LOVE almond butter. It's so good! Pricey though, but very tasty stuff!
  • thirteenblessings
    thirteenblessings Posts: 51
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    LMAO I just had some peanuts :) mmmmmmmm I posted that bc I was doing research. This girl at work joined this boot camp thing and part of her diet plan is no peanuts! Sorry but diet plans like that are useless to me. Strict = FAILURE in my opinion bc thats not a realistic approach to a diet/lifestyle change.

    Agreed 100% The only diet plans that have ever worked for me are those where I can still indulge every once in awhile. If you ban a food, I want it even more and will be more inclined to binge on it. Not good. Moderation is key, and no food is evil or forbidden. Just limit the quantities of the higher calorie foods.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    http://www.livingpaleo.com/avoiding-grains-part-1/

    Lectins and gluten are both types of protein and can be categorised in the same family. However each has its own dangers.

    ...It’s important to know that lectins (which are also found in legumes, peanuts and soy beans) are resistant to cooking and our digestive enzymes, so it’s a hard task to try and stop them from doing their nasty work in the body. Lectins have been linked to inflammatory problems as well as digestive diseases; leaky gut syndrome becoming one of the larger problems in society at the moment, which is then linked to autoimmune diseases (in which the body attacks itself). The reason lectins have such an intense effect on our digestive system and cause leaky gut syndrome is because lectins dramatically damage the gut defenses (as well as going on beyond the gut to damage joints and our skin complexion) called microvilli which line the small intestine and help to digest and transport food particles into the blood stream and the lymph system. When leaky gut syndrome has set in, the damage done to the microvilli has become excessive and has made the absorption of fats, vitamins and minerals extremely hard to digest...

    Think about what happens to peanuts when we eat them (they don't digest).
    But cutting out peanuts and peanut butter (love almond butter now) is my choice. I'm not trying to push anything on you - just putting some other information out there.

    And here's an article on lectins - they are still being learned about.

    http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html

    just to read, not to preach! :)
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
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    http://www.livingpaleo.com/avoiding-grains-part-1/

    Lectins and gluten are both types of protein and can be categorised in the same family. However each has its own dangers.

    ...It’s important to know that lectins (which are also found in legumes, peanuts and soy beans) are resistant to cooking and our digestive enzymes, so it’s a hard task to try and stop them from doing their nasty work in the body. Lectins have been linked to inflammatory problems as well as digestive diseases; leaky gut syndrome becoming one of the larger problems in society at the moment, which is then linked to autoimmune diseases (in which the body attacks itself). The reason lectins have such an intense effect on our digestive system and cause leaky gut syndrome is because lectins dramatically damage the gut defenses (as well as going on beyond the gut to damage joints and our skin complexion) called microvilli which line the small intestine and help to digest and transport food particles into the blood stream and the lymph system. When leaky gut syndrome has set in, the damage done to the microvilli has become excessive and has made the absorption of fats, vitamins and minerals extremely hard to digest...

    Think about what happens to peanuts when we eat them (they don't digest).
    But cutting out peanuts and peanut butter (love almond butter now) is my choice. I'm not trying to push anything on you - just putting some other information out there.

    Another pseudo medical term: "Leaky gut syndrome" is not a recognized diagnosis (International Classification of Disease --9). Peanuts are a significant cause of allergic phenomena and those that are sensitive to peanuts should avoid them. If you are not so afflicted, enjoy peanuts in moderation like anything else. I personally like to cut the fat a bit by enjoying PB2
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    Options
    http://www.livingpaleo.com/avoiding-grains-part-1/

    Lectins and gluten are both types of protein and can be categorised in the same family. However each has its own dangers.

    ...It’s important to know that lectins (which are also found in legumes, peanuts and soy beans) are resistant to cooking and our digestive enzymes, so it’s a hard task to try and stop them from doing their nasty work in the body. Lectins have been linked to inflammatory problems as well as digestive diseases; leaky gut syndrome becoming one of the larger problems in society at the moment, which is then linked to autoimmune diseases (in which the body attacks itself). The reason lectins have such an intense effect on our digestive system and cause leaky gut syndrome is because lectins dramatically damage the gut defenses (as well as going on beyond the gut to damage joints and our skin complexion) called microvilli which line the small intestine and help to digest and transport food particles into the blood stream and the lymph system. When leaky gut syndrome has set in, the damage done to the microvilli has become excessive and has made the absorption of fats, vitamins and minerals extremely hard to digest...

    Think about what happens to peanuts when we eat them (they don't digest).
    But cutting out peanuts and peanut butter (love almond butter now) is my choice. I'm not trying to push anything on you - just putting some other information out there.

    Another pseudo medical term: "Leaky gut syndrome" is not a recognized diagnosis (International Classification of Disease --9). Peanuts are a significant cause of allergic phenomena and those that are sensitive to peanuts should avoid them. If you are not so afflicted, enjoy peanuts in moderation like anything else. I personally like to cut the fat a bit by enjoying PB2

    Just putting other info out there. You can never have too much knowledge.

    And here's an article on lectins - they are still being learned about.

    http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html

    just to read, not to preach! :)
  • RCKT82
    RCKT82 Posts: 409 Member
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    Plus you get a great arm workout everytime you open a brand new jar of natural PB and Almond Butter. Should I log the calories burned for mixing up that new jar?
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    Plus you get a great arm workout everytime you open a brand new jar of natural PB and Almond Butter. Should I log the calories burned for mixing up that new jar?

    I say log it. I opened my first jar of almond butter. Wow!!
  • thirteenblessings
    thirteenblessings Posts: 51
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    Plus you get a great arm workout everytime you open a brand new jar of natural PB and Almond Butter. Should I log the calories burned for mixing up that new jar?

    HAHA. Funny stuff :)
  • thirteenblessings
    thirteenblessings Posts: 51
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    What's PB2?
  • Mommawarrior
    Mommawarrior Posts: 897 Member
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    Thank you for that info. I love peanut butter. I only eat smuckers all natural no salt added. I eat it almost everyday.
  • RCKT82
    RCKT82 Posts: 409 Member
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    What's PB2?

    It's powdered peanut butter.... they pretty much press all the oil out of the peanuts leaving a low calorie PB powder. It's great stuff, I love mixing it into my protein shakes and smoothies.

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