Cracker Jacks
Consider the lowly peanut. It gets no respect. But researchers from Perdue University think it’s time to change all that.
Perdue News – an online news outlet for the University – recently detailed the results of a new study that “proves regular peanut consumption helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease without weight gain.”
That’s a pretty tall claim. But the reality of what a daily of serving of peanuts can or can’t do is not quite so simple as that bold statement would have you believe.
So before you start getting out all your peanut recipes, we’ll take a look at the plusses and the minuses (and there are some) of the peanut.
Health nut
When I told you about the many health benefits of nuts in the e-Alert “Nut Case” (7/31/03), I gave the peanut its due, stating that peanuts contain good amounts of niacin, folate, vitamin E, and a rich combination of minerals. So it’s certainly not news that the peanut (which is actually a legume; not a nut) has nutritional value.
Researchers from Purdue University Department of Foods and Nutrition designed a small study using 15 healthy adult subjects to examine the specific effect of peanut consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors. The test was divided into three parts over the course of 30 weeks. In part one, subjects added peanuts to their diets in any way they chose for 8 weeks. In part two, subjects ate their normal diets, but added 500 calories of peanuts for 3 weeks. And in part three, subjects reduced their daily fat intake by 500 calories and ate 500 calories of peanuts.
The most dramatic results were found in part two of the test. When subjects simply added 500 calories of peanuts to their normal daily diet for 3 weeks, overall levels of triglycerides (a reliable heart disease marker) dropped by 24 percent. Meanwhile, subjects experienced no significant jump in body weight.
These are promising results. But considerably longer trials with more subjects are necessary before anyone can seriously make the blanket claim that peanuts “reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease without weight gain.”
Little sprouts
While it’s true that peanuts contain fiber, monosaturated fatty acids, and other nutrients that can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, there are some drawbacks to this nutty legume.
For instance; in response to the e-Alert “Nut Case,” I received this e-mail from an HSI member named Lezli:
“I’ve been told that uncooked nuts and/or unsoaked nuts and seeds contain an enzyme that keeps them from sprouting and that such enzyme may cause some health problems (digestion problems). From what I understand, the enzyme becomes diluted or neutralized when soaked in water which allows the nut or seed to sprout. Or you can roast the nuts or seeds at a temperature of at least 118 degrees to neutralize the enzyme. Can you confirm or refute this info for me?”
I can confirm it. Anyone who goes to the trouble to find raw seeds or nuts (including peanuts) should soak them for a while to deactivate their natural enzyme inhibitors. I’ve read different recommendations for soaking times that call for a range between 5 to 24 hours. An overnight soak will probably be sufficient for peanuts. And as you might suspect, pure spring water or distilled water is recommended over tap water.
By the way, nuts and seeds that float may be rancid and should be discarded.
In the western sun
For those who never eat raw nuts, there are other problems of concern with processed peanuts, which are used in a wide range of foods.
Last year I shared a letter from an HSI member who calls himself “A.” After being told he was allergic to peanuts, A. did some research and came to realize that he’s allergic to aflatoxin; a toxin produced by mold that grows on grains, soybeans, and especially peanuts. In his e-mail, A. said that aflatoxin is “a known carcinogen yet allowed by the FDA. It can be neutralized by simply soaking the bean or nut and allowing it to ferment (in the case of soybeans) or slightly sprout (in the case of peanuts). This means that I can enjoy peanuts I fix properly myself (soak before roasting) and buy certified organically processed peanut butter at the health foods store.”
In an article commenting on the Perdue University study, osteopathic physician Dr. Joseph Mercola confirmed A.’s information about aflatoxin, and added two other concerns about peanuts: 1) peanut crops are some of the most pesticide contaminated crops, and 2) peanuts are high in omega-6 fatty acids – the type of fatty acids that many people already have far too much of in their diets; primarily through the consumption of processed foods.
Dr. Mercola recommends organic peanut butter produced by Arrowhead Mills, which uses peanuts grown in New Mexico where arid conditions cut down on the aflatoxin problem considerably.
Peanut futures
Because most of the drawbacks of peanuts can be avoided, I hope that the Purdue study will prompt further, more ambitious research of peanuts and their apparent ability to lower triglyceride levels. For instance, a long-term trial to study the effects of organic, aflatoxin-free peanuts on patients at risk of heart disease might be very revealing. And the fact that peanut consumption didn’t cause a significant weight gain in the Purdue subjects should also be followed up with additional trials.
In the meantime, it may be too soon to sign on for a “peanut diet,” but you can rest assured that a handful of peanuts is a relatively nutritious snack that just might be good for your heart. And if you can find a handful that’s pesticide and aflatoxin-free, all the better.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
“Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Adults” Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 22, No. 2, 133-144 (2003), jacn.org
“Eating Peanuts Helps Keep Heart Healthy Without Weight Gain” Purdue News, 7/31/03, news.uns.purdue.edu
“Peanuts are Both Good and Bad” Dr. Joseph Mercola, 8/20/03, mercola.com
