Health Benefits of Peanut
August 11, 2009
Peanut is a leguminous plant that grows to about 30 cm to 50 cm in height. The stems produce the nuts which are then pushed in to the soil and there they mature to become the peanuts. A regular intake of peanuts may help you to avoid many diseases and it will also improve your health.
Benefits of Peanut
Gastrointestinal Health
Peanuts are found to have good quantity of fibers which are essential for the well being of the human being. These fibers help to feed the good bacteria with in the gut and thus make them work more efficiently. These bacteria will then properly breakdown the food we consume. Peanut will also reduce the risk of gallstone development and also reduces the risk of colon cancer.
Antioxidant Property
Peanuts contain good quantity of antioxidant in it and the most well known component is p-coumaric acid. The level of p-coumaric acid will increase along with the roasting of the peanut and this increases the level of antioxidants in peanut to 22 percent. This antioxidant property of peanut can help us to ward off the cancer causing cells and thus protect us from cancer.
Heart Health
The nutrients present in peanut can protect us from cardiovascular diseases. The fats present in peanuts are monounsaturated fats and these fats are found to lower the risk of heart diseases by lowering the level of bad cholesterol in the body. More than that peanut contains vitamin E, foliate, niacin, magnesium etc which are beneficial for marinating heart health.
Brain Health
Peanuts consist of resveratrol which is an antioxidant that can protect the brain by reducing the chances for getting stroke. Resveratrol increases the flow of blood through the brain to about 30 percent and thus protect the brain.
Bone Health
Peanuts are rich in vitamin D and calcium and hence they can promote the growth, development and maintenance of bone and the teeth. Thus peanut improves the bone health and the teeth health.
Peanuts have a low glycemic index. This gives peanut an ability to control the level of insulin and sugar in the blood after having your food. Low glycemic index makes peanut to release the sugar present in the food slowly and this gives time for the insulin produced by the diabetic patient’s body to work with the sugar and thus keeps the diabetes under control.
Comments
Got something to say? Join the conversation and leave a comment below.