for
Volume 18 Issue 3
Food Thought
Eat peanuts everyday
for a longer life
P
eanuts have long been studied for their benefits for heart health,
diabetes and weight management.1-6 New research from Harvard
shows that eating peanuts daily can lead to a longer life. This study
showed that men and women who ate an ounce of peanuts everyday reduced their risk of death from all causes by up to 20%.7 Researchers also
noted than peanut eaters were leaner and had a reduced risk of obesity.
This study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the largest to date to look at death from all causes in nut eaters. The study tracked
nearly 119,000 men and women from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health
Professionals Follow-up Study over a 30-year period.
They found that the more frequently peanuts and nuts were consumed, the lower the
risk of death. Compared to non-nut eaters, those who consumed peanuts and nuts
occasionally reduced risk of death by 7%, weekly eaters reduced risk by 11%, eating peanuts two to four times a week cut risk by 13%, and eating peanuts and nuts
seven or more times a week cut risk by about 20%.7
Reduced Risk
of Death
%
When researchers looked at death rates based on peanuts, they found that eating
peanuts just twice a week reduced death from any cause by 12%. When they looked
at death by specific cause, they found that eating peanuts daily reduced risk of
death due to heart disease by 24%, respiratory disease by 16%, infections by 32%,
and kidney disease by 48%.7
When researchers looked at peanuts alone and compared them to a mixture of tree
nuts, they found the results were about the same.
“We don’t see any difference in the benefits between
peanuts and tree nuts,” said Dr. Charles Fuchs, Harvard Medical School.
Current USDA data shows peanuts are the most popular nut in the U.S. and represent half of all nuts consumed.8 During the years observed in the study for all nuts
combined, USDA data shows peanuts and peanut butter represented 69% of the
total nut intake, making peanuts a strong driver for the results.
Previous research from Harvard School of Public Health showed that a 1-ounce
serving of peanuts or a half serving (one tablespoon) of peanut butter eaten five or
more times a week, can decrease the risk of diabetes by 27% and 21% respectively.9 Additional work by Harvard showed that a handful of peanuts eaten five or more
times per week can cut the risk of heart disease in half.10
This study explains, “Nutrients in nuts, such as unsaturated fatty acids, high-quality
protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals may confer cardioprotective,
anticarcinogenic, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant properties.”
© 2014 The Peanut Institute
www.peanut-institute.org
Frequency of Nut Consumption
?
Bao, N Engl J Med, 2013
Did you know
Frequent peanut consumption
does not cause weight gain.
Eating peanuts daily is associated
with a smaller waist, less weight
gain, and decreased risk of
obesity.7
Peanuts get the stamp of approval
the American Heart Association®
from
D
id you know that peanuts are
among the list of foods approved by the American Heart
Association® to carry the Heart-Check
logo? Both raw and roasted—salted or
unsalted—peanuts meet the American
Heart Association® Heart-Check criteria.
To get the Heart-Check, nuts must have
less than 4 grams of saturated fat, no
trans fat, no cholesterol, less than 140mg
of sodium, and 10% or more Daily Value
of at least one beneficial nutrient like
fiber or protein.12
Research shows that eating nuts daily can
reduce risk of death from heart disease
by 29%, and even eating peanuts just
twice a week can reduce risk by 24%.7
Peanuts help prevent heart disease by
lowering blood pressure and decreasing
bad LDL cholesterol while maintaining
good HDL cholesterol.14
A new study from Purdue University
showed that eating peanuts regularly
helps decrease blood pressure. Amongst
participants with high blood pressure,
the changes were greatest over the first
two weeks, and were sustained throughout the duration of the study.15
Research shows similar findings for
those with elevated cholesterol levels.
A study from The Pennsylvania State
University found that nuts reduce the risk
of heart disease in individuals with high
cholesterol.16 Researchers attribute the
health benefits of daily peanut consumption to their dense nutrient content.
Peanuts contain healthy fats, plant-based
protein, and fiber, all of which contribute
to reducing cholesterol.17
Peanuts are part of a heart-healthy diet
as they are naturally low in sodium and
contain heart-healthy nutrients.11 When
salt is added to peanuts, it stays on the
surface so less is needed. One ounce of
oil-roasted salted peanuts typically contains 91mg of sodium, which is less than
half of the amount in one ounce of cheese
puffs and less than a third of the amount
in one ounce of salted pretzels.11
Pretzels contain more
than three times as
much salt as oil-roasted
salted peanuts.11
Sodium (mg)
Sodium in Snack Foods
(1 oz)
(1 oz)
© 2014 The Peanut Institute
www.peanut-institute.org
(1 oz)
Flavored and unflavored peanuts reduce
blood pressure in
two weeks
just
A
new study released in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition found that different flavors of peanuts—salted,
spicy, honey-roasted, or unsalted—result in positive
health benefits. The study, “A Randomized Trial on the Effects of
Flavorings on the Health Benefits of Daily Peanut Consumption,”
was conducted at Purdue University and included over 150
men and women who incorporated peanuts into their daily diet
for 12 weeks.
Participants were randomly assigned three 0.5-ounce portions
of three peanut flavors or just 1.5 ounces of one flavor, which
were eaten as a snack or as part of a meal. Researchers took
blood samples every four weeks and other health measurements every two weeks.
Indeed, results showed that all varieties of peanuts
significantly decreased mean diastolic blood
“Regardless of flavoring, peanut consumption
pressure in all participants. For those who had
high blood pressure, the changes were greatest
offered significant benefits to participants with
over the first two weeks of the study and were
elevated serum lipids and blood pressure,”
sustained throughout the 12 weeks (See Figure 1).
says Dr. Richard Mattes, Professor of Nutrition Science at Purdue University.
Interestingly, the findings were similar for salted
and unsalted peanuts; and while all participants
decreased their blood pressure, those who ate
salted or unsalted peanuts had slightly greater decreases than
those who consumed spicy or honey-roasted peanuts.
The paper explains that these results may be due to the
arginine found in peanuts, “which promotes the production of
nitric oxide—a vasodilator that potentially leads to a decrease
in blood pressure.” Data shows that peanuts contain more
arginine than any other nut, and in fact, more than any other
whole food.18
In addition, as shown in previous research, this study found that
daily peanut intake reduced total serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in participants who had high levels at the start
(See Figure 2). High blood pressure is the number one risk
factor for cardiovascular disease, while high blood cholesterol
continues to be a major risk factor as well.
Figure 2
Figure 1
high Cholesterol (n=24)
high BP (n=27)
240
Cholesterol (mg/dL)
Blood Pressure (mmHg)
Normal BP (n=124)
85
80
75
70
220
200
180
160
Week
Week
© 2014 The Peanut Institute
Normal Cholesterol (n=127)
www.peanut-institute.org
Jones, et al. AJCN, 2014
Follow your heart!
Swap red meat one night this week for heart-health.
Try this plant-based peanut burger!
peanut farro veggie burger
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cook farro, barley or brown rice according to package.
3. Boil the sweet potatoes. Drain and set aside. Once the potatoes are cool, peel
and place them in a large bowl.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a pan and sauté the peanuts for one minute. Add the
mushrooms and cook until the water has released and the pan is dry again. Add
mushroom and peanut mixture to bowl with sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
• ¾ cup farro, barley or brown rice
• 1 lb sweet potatoes
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• ¾ cup chopped peanuts
• 1 lb chopped mushroom caps
• 3 chopped shallots
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup peanut flour or all-purpose flour
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 10 whole grain hamburger buns or rolls
References
1.Bernstein AM, Sun Q, Hu FB, Stampfer MJ,
Manson JE, Willett WC. Major dietary protein
sources and the risk of coronary heart disease in
women. Circulation. 2010;122(9):876–883.
2.Huynh NN, Chin-Dusting J. Amino acids, arginase
and nitric oxide in vascular health. Clin Exp
Pharmacol Physiol. 2006;33(1- 2):1-8.
3.Gonzalez C, Salas-Salvado J. The potential
of nuts in the prevention of cancer. Br J Nutr,
2006;96(2):87-94.
4.Nouran MG, Kimiagar M, Abadi A, Mirzazadeh
M, Harrison G. Peanut consumption and
cardiovascular risk. Pub Health Nutr.
2009;13(10):1581-1586.
5.Paddon-Jones D, Westman E, Mattes RD, Wolfe
RR, Astrup A, Westerterp-Plantenga M. Protein,
weight management, and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr.
2008 May;87(5):1558S-1561S.
6.Eckel RH, Jakicic JM, Ard JD, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC
guideline on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk. Circulation. 2013; doi:10.1161/01.
cir.0000437740.48606.d1.
5. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil in the pan and cook shallots, pepper and salt
for 2 minutes. Add to bowl with sweet potatoes and mushrooms.
6. Add Parmesan and farro, barley or brown rice to bowl and mix with potato
masher.
7. Mix breadcrumbs and flour in a shallow dish. Form 10 patties from the mixture.
Press each patty into the breadcrumb mixture and place on baking sheet.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until
golden brown.
9. Serve with lowfat swiss cheese, carmelized onions, or even peanut sauce on
your favorite whole-wheat bun.
Recipe developed by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service to
The Peanut Institute.
7.Bao Y, Han J, Hu FB, et al. Association of nut consumption with total and cause-specific mortality.
N Engl J Med. 2013;369(21):2001-2011.
8.Commodity Consumption by Population
Characteristics. United States Department of
Agriculture: Economic Research Service. Available
at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/
commodity-consumption-by-populationcharacteristics.aspx#.Uv53ff1teS4. Accessed on
February 14, 2014.
NutritionCenter/HeartSmartShopping/
Heart-Check-Mark-Nutrition-Requirements_
UCM_300914_Article.jsp. Accessed on February
14, 2014.
13.Pan A, et al. Red Meat Consumption and mortality, Arch Int Med. 2012;172(7): 555-63.
14.Bernstein AM, Pan A, Rexrode KM,, et al. Dietary
protein sources and the risk of stroke in men and
women. Stroke. 2012;43:637-644.
9.Jiang R, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Liu S, Willett
WC, Hu FB. Nut and peanut butter consumption
and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. JAMA.
2002;288:2554-2560.
15.Jones JB, Provost M, Keaver L, Breen C, Ludy MJ,
Mattes RD. A randomized trial on the effects of
flavorings on the health benefits of daily peanut
consumption. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;99:490-496.
10.Li TY, Brennan AM, Wedick NM, Mantzoros C,
Rifai N, Hu FB. Regular consumption of nuts is
associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular
disease in women with type 2 diabetes. J Nutr.
2009;139:1333-1338.
16.Kris-Etherton PM, Pearson TA, Wan Y, et al. High
monounsaturated fatty acid diets lower both
plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations. Am J of Clin Nutr. 1999;70:1009-1015.
11.U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Service. 2013, USDA National Nutrient
Database for Standard Reference, Release 26.
Nutrient Data laboratory Home Page, http://ndb.
nal.usda.gov.
17.Stephens AM, Dean LL, Davis JP, Osborne JA,
Sanders TH. Peanuts, peanut oil, and fat free
peanut flour reduced cardiovascular disease
risk factors and the development of atherosclerosis in Syrian golden hamsters. J Food Sci.
2010;75(4):H116-H122.
12.Heart-Check Mark Nutrition Requirements.
American Heart Association. Available at: https://
www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/
18.Francisco, ML, Resurreccion. Functional
Components in Peanuts. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr.
2008;48:715-746.
The Peanut Institute is a non-profit organization that supports nutrition
Volume 18 Issue 3
research and develops educational programs to encourage healthy lifestyles.
TEL: 1-888-8PEANUT
www.peanut-institute.org
© 2014 The Peanut Institute
www.peanut-institute.org