We’re not nuts … really
We’re not making light of the fact that many people are very allergic to peanuts, as they are to some shellfish. Still, adding peanuts to that “apple a day that keeps the doctor away” is a good way to stay heart-healthy and trim. So says Purdue University researcher Richard Mattes (765-494-0662, or mattesr@cfs.purdue.edu), professor of foods and nutrition, and his doctoral student, Corinna Alper.
They claim to have proven that regular peanut consumption helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease without weight gain. "Peanuts are the most widely consumed nut in this country," Mattes said. "They are a rich source of monosaturated fatty acids, magnesium folate, vitamin E, copper, and fiber, all of which have cardiovascular disease risk-reducing properties."
The study, Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Adults,” was published in the April issue of the Journal of American College of Nutrition and was funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International/National Development.. In addition to this study, Mattes is doing research on identifying how the energy from peanuts is used and whether the healthful properties of peanuts are due to their oil content.
Mattes said the findings are consistent with several epidemiological and clinical studies. "Peanuts, which are actually legumes, are often viewed as unhealthy because they are high in fat," said Mattes. "This is the biggest
obstacle in peanut consumption. But peanuts are rich in the types of fats that actually reduce cardiovascular disease risk and have strong satiety properties - meaning a person feels full after eating peanuts - so they do not
pose a threat of weight gain. People can feel comfortable including them
in their diet to take advantage of peanuts' reducing the risk of heart disease, without adding to body weight."
Mattes and Alper conducted three trials in the study. The first entailed having participants reduce dietary fat intake by 500 calories and replace them with 500 calories of peanuts, so total calories did not change. Only the source of those calories did. In the second trial, individuals consumed their regular diet and added 500 calories of peanuts, which boosted total caloric intake. In the third treatment, individuals were allowed to incorporate peanuts in their diets in any way they chose. In all three groups, subjects' triglyceride level - a risk factor for cardiovascular disease - was lowered significantly.
"We have learned that regular peanut consumption lowers triglyceride
levels by as much as 24 percent - even in the group where peanuts were
added to regular dietary intake," Mattes said. "We also saw no significant change in body weight, despite adding 500 calories of peanuts a day for eight weeks. "Of course, we want to know where those calories went. There are
three possible answers to that question."
The first is that peanuts have a high satiety value, and that feeling
of being full reduces the amount a person eats. Mattes said this accounts for the largest portion of missing calories. The second possibility is that the peanuts trigger an increase in people's resting metabolic rate. The third explanation is that people don't chew nuts well, so people's bodies fail to absorb a portion of nuts' caloric energy.
"There is great public health significance to work in this area," Mattes said. "This particular study indicates it may be an appropriate health recommendation to include peanuts in the daily diet."
Let’s se3e, where did I put that giant-sized can of Planter’s salted mixed nuts?