Peanuts: 5 benefits of the peanuts that you can not miss
As with any dried fruit, Peanuts should be part of any healthy and balanced diet If what we are looking for is strengthen our cardiovascular health and ultimately win in quality of life. Especially if we consider that we have already started the routine again after the summer and now the autumn has started strong with a sudden drop in temperatures.
But before getting into the matter, we are going to tell you some curiosities about peanuts that are sure to surprise more than one. First, 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 zone of 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 later they would be planted in all regions of the planet. The original name of this peanut was 'Tlalcacahuatl' that comes to say something like 'Cocoa of the earth'.
What are the benefits of peanuts?
After having made this first summary about the origins of the peanut, through the next point we will delve into all the benefits that the consumption of this crunchy dry fruit brings us for our health:
Antioxidants to prevent cancer
Numerous nutritional studies have concluded that consuming at least thirty grams of peanuts a day reduces the risk of breast cancer by almost three, a disease that attacks women of any age and condition.
This is because all these antioxidants and fatty acids are most beneficial to strengthen our entire immune system and to directly attack the cancer cells thanks to the substance known as beta-sistoterol that is so present in these fruits.
Prevent cardiovascular diseases
Did you know that peanuts are made almost 75% monounsaturated fatty acids? We do not need 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 myocardial infarctions and it will also strengthen all the muscles of our heart.
Very beneficial for diabetics
The completely roasted peanuts 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 indexes are not going to shoot. All this while we get a shot of extra energy and we ingest all kinds of nutrients as we will describe from the next point.
High content of vitamins and minerals
It seems incredible that this nut contains all kinds of vitamins and minerals of all kinds. Among them, it should be noted that vitamin B1 (also known as thiamin) is the most recommended for 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 which are the most beneficial for our entire body.
They favor concentration
If you are in a job that requires great concentration or you are in an intense study period, we assure you that the peanuts will help you strengthen your brain as they are able to keep the central and peripheral nervous system.
Likewise, it has been shown that peanuts also prevent senile diseases and raise our spirits after having suffered any stress and anxiety like chocolate.
Nutritional properties of peanuts
As we have seen, from a nutritional point of view the peanuts they are considered as the nuts that more vitamin B3 (15.3 mg / 100 g.) and folic acid possess, being at the same time very rich in proteins, since 50 grams cover a quarter of the daily needs.
This means that, for example, a moderate contribution of peanuts is a good complement during pregnancy, in which there are certain nutritional needs.
However, we should not forget that it is a valuable source of monounsaturated fats (approximately 58%), as well as polyunsaturated fats (26%).
As we commented 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 do not always digest well.
The nuts they tend to be relatively good foods for health, especially for the heart, since they help to reduce the level of bad cholesterol, and to control both hypertension and glucose itself.
And remember something fundamental ...
It is very important to always eat toasted nuts without added salt, and above all, never fried, because in this way we can enjoy all its nutritional qualities with tranquility, without contributing more fat or calories than those contained in the food itself.
It's more, we should especially avoid fried peanuts, since in the majority of the occasions the most common thing is that they have been fried in refined or unhealthy oils (as it happens with the Palm oil), and we will also contribute trans fats, very dangerous for our cardiovascular health. This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesNuts
