About Groundnut and Its Health Benefit

Groundnut, also known as the peanut, is not just good because it tastes good in any form. The nuts are extremely good for human health due to their rich protein content, healthy fat oil, and other nutrients that will be seen as contained in this article.

It is a leguminous food crop full of nutrition, not just that. It adds value to human health and lifestyle, whether in a raw state, cooked, roasted, or otherwise.

Some of the science-based health benefits of groundnut are an improvement of heart and brain health, body tissue repairs, reducing the risk of cancer, improved skin health, and more, as discussed below:

 

1. Essential For Heart And Brain Health 

Groundnut, mainly the oil, contains fatty acids which help to increase the high-density lipoprotein in the body known as the “good cholesterol,” and this is so because the fatty acid it contains is monounsaturated, thereby improving the general health conditions of the heart and brain.

Again copper, a dietary mineral, is present in groundnut, which can prevent the body from coronary heart disease, and thiamine (vitamin B1); a vital micronutrient that helps to protect human health from cardiac failure.

It has been scientifically proven that a thiamine deficiency in the human body leads to congestive heart failure. Therefore, taking good quantities of groundnut daily supplies this vitamin which plays a vital role in the normal functioning of the heart.

 

2. Repairs the Body Tissues

Like other leguminous crops, groundnut is an excellent protein source that helps repair and builds body tissues.

It contains a good amount of phosphorus that the human body needs to make proteins necessary for maintaining bodily functions, growth, and repairs of specific tissues and cells.

Research has also shown that groundnut contains more grams of protein than other nuts. According to this research, 480 grains serving of peanut, equivalent to one ounce, contains 8 grams of protein.

This protein in the groundnut has high digestibility comparable to soy protein and serves as a good building block for the bones, tissues, blood, muscles, and cells.

It is important to note that a peanut butter sandwich with three glasses of milk provides the body with 22 grams of protein, almost the quantity required for an average person daily.

 

3. Lower the Risk of Cancer

Groundnut is one of the food crops that have antioxidants in the form of polyphenol and resveratrol, which helps to protect the body from diseases such as cancer, heart-related disease, etc., as it boosts the body’s immune system by removing chemicals in the body that can cause or worsen such health conditions.

Peanut, as a good source of omega-3 fatty acid, vitamin E, fiber, and other essential nutrients, helps to lower the risk of contracting certain types of cancers.

According to Medical News Today, studies conducted by Prof. Piet van den Brandt show that consumption of 15 grams of groundnuts every day can reduce the risk of a blood clot and other numbers of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and respiratory disease.

 

4. Improves Skin Health

The vitamins in the groundnut serve an anti-aging property as it gives the skin a new and better look by protecting it from skin conditions such as dryness, wrinkles, and scaling.

Other essential nutrients in peanuts, such as phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and monounsaturated fats, help keep the skin porous and glowing by flushing out excess oil and toxins from the skin.

The presence of antioxidants in peanuts, such as vitamins C and E, helps reduce some anti-aging effects, including dark spots, wrinkles, pimples, etc.

Generally, on skin health, moderate consumption of ground helps keep the skin ever young and smooth due to the presence of anti-aging phytochemicals called resveratrol and vitamin C, which helps to rebuild the collagen.

 

5. Oxidative Stress Protection

Peanuts have a quality content of essential compounds that are antioxidants rich and help to protect the body from an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the human body which is prone to adverse effects.

These antioxidants help to prevent the occurrence of certain diseases in the body and certainly stop the activities of oxidation of other molecules in the body.

 

6. Build Strong Bones

Therefore, certain minerals in groundnuts, such as potassium, zinc, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and phosphorus, help the body stay healthy and build strong bones.

On the other hand, these minerals protect the body from some of the mineral deficiencies that can cause complications to human health when left untreated.

 

7. Good for Pregnant Women:

You may have or haven't heard that groundnut is a good food choice for pregnant women. How right? Okay, peanut contains protein and folate; folic acid is an essential supplement for every pregnant woman to avoid birth defects and contribute to the proper brain and spine development.

No matter the diet a pregnant woman sticks to, she must consume a good quantity of folic acid through the conception period. Fried peanuts, roasted or cooked, can be eaten by pregnant women.

 

Nutritional Values of Groundnuts:

Groundnuts have a lot of health benefits in their complete forms. When processed into other products, it primarily contains nutrients (minerals and vitamins) such as thiamin, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin E, copper, phosphorus, biotin, magnesium, manganese, folate, etc.

It is just as essential as the health benefits to know also the values of nutrients that constitute groundnut, in other words, called peanut.

Scientifically, 100 grams of groundnut contains 567 calories; 7 % of water; 25.8 grams of protein; 16.1 grams of carbohydrates, and 4.7 grams of Sugar.  Some other nutrients present in groundnut with their respective values are; Fibre - 8.5 g; Fat - 49.2 g; Saturated - 6.28 g; Monounsaturated - 24.43 g; Polyunsaturated - 15.56 g;  Omega - 3 0 g; Omega 6 - 15.56 g.

 

Groundnuts and their Derivatives:

Groundnut is a popular food crop in Nigeria, widely cultivated commercially. In some countries, it is scientifically classified under Arachis hypogaea with other names such as goober nuts, earth nuts, peanuts, etc., which groundnut is known for.

The products of these nuts are used in a diversity of foods such as snacks, desserts, sauces, cakes, and confectionery. It is one of the food crops that have not only a lot of health benefits but also numerous derivatives.

The usefulness of groundnut is vast; in confectioneries or the food industries, it can as well be used to produce groundnut or peanut butter, groundnut flour, and more; it can also be used to cook groundnut stew and soup and can serve as a key ingredient in some Nigerian foods.

One of the commonest derivatives of groundnut is peanut butter, known as "ose oji" or "okwu oji" in Igbo; "epa bota" in Yoruba; and "gyada butter" in Hausa.

Peanut butter is made as a paste which is purely an unprocessed butter made from groundnut. It tastes delicious with its wonderful smell and texture. Not just that, it contains antioxidants that fight the damaging effects of free radicals in the body.

Groundnuts can be eaten whole when boiled, or they can as well be fried or roasted to serve various purposes. This (boiled or fried) is one of the snack delicacies mostly enjoyed in the country, especially when salted well to taste better and in some cases, can be used a lunch.

It is also used to produce vegetable oil, commonly called groundnut oil. It is one of the common vegetable oils used in Nigeria for cooking and other purposes.

During the processing of groundnuts into oil, the groundnut cake can be used as feed for livestock and poultry or in the production of the locally made Nigerian snack known as Kuli Kuli, which is most common in the North.

 

Side Effects:

Groundnut is an important food crop in some parts of the world, like Nigeria, but one must know its essential nutrients and health benefits for adequate consumption other than just as a food source. Though some persons are allergic to groundnuts or have too much intake, it is generally safe and beneficial to eat.

 

Conclusion:

Groundnut is a good weight loss diet for the reason stated above, adding to the fact that it is rich in fiber and protein, which can sustain hunger for a long time.

Roasted or fried groundnut is a perfect staple snack that is safe for both adults and children. Just like nuts such as almonds and roasted cashew nuts, peanut in their roasted form is healthy for every human category.