Scientists, chefs, and dietitians alike are looking to traditional cuisines to learn more about eating patterns that are tasty, satisfying and healthful. Peanuts have been in the center of the plate in many traditional cuisines, such as Asian and Indian cuisines, in stir-fries, satays and sauces. In the United States, we eat peanuts mainly as a snack and consume peanut butter mainly on a sandwich. But this is changing as chefs start to use peanuts to add crunch, interest, mouthfeel, and nutrition to main dishes.

Peanuts and Peanut Butter — Powerhouses of Nutrition

Peanuts and peanut butter find a place in the diet throughout the life-cycle. For children and older adults alike, peanuts supply many important nutrients.

Peanuts and peanut butter are naturally cholesterol-free(1). According to United States Department of Agriculture Standards, a product is a good source of a nutrients if it contains 10 percent or more of the daily value of the nutrient, per serving. A one-ounce serving of raw peanuts is a good source of plant protein, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, thiamin, niacin and folate(1). A two tablespoon serving of peanut butter is a good source of plant protein, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus and vitamin E1. These vitamins and minerals contribute to the nutritional benefits of peanuts, peanut butter and other peanut products such as peanut oil and peanut flour.

Plant Protein-Peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut! Legumes are good sources of protein, which supplies amino acids, the building blocks of your body tissues. One ounce of peanuts contains 6.7 grams of protein.

Thiamin and Niacin are both B vitamins important to energy production in your body. These B vitamins help make useful energy from carbohydrates, sugars and fatty acids, all components of the foods we eat.

Magnesium is found in your bones and is an important part of body enzymes, which regulate many body functions.

Folate plays an essential role in making new body cells by helping to form the DNA and RNA that contain each cell's "master plan" for reproduction. This is why folate is so important for pregnant women and the development of babies. Folate also pairs with vitamin B-12 to help form hemoglobin in red blood cells, which allows them to carry optimal amounts of oxygen.

Folate is also involved in the removal of homocysteine, an amino acid thought to promote heart disease, from the blood. A large population study from Harvard University shows an association between higher intakes of folate and lower risk of heart disease(2).

Phosphorus is a mineral and is a major part of your bones and teeth. Phosphorus also helps produce energy in your cells.

Copper is a trace mineral that helps your body carry oxygen to red blood cells and produce energy in the cells. Copper is also a vital part of some antioxidant enzymes in the body, thus protecting you from oxidative stress. While a copper deficiency is rare, this trace mineral is essential to an energy-rich life.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and appears to work as an antioxidant, which protects the cells by getting rid of harmful free-radicals.

Fat is an essential nutrient. It carries fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E and vitamin A, supplies energy to the body, and helps cushion vital organs. Peanuts and peanut butter contain over 80 percent mono- and polyunsaturated fat, the "good" kind of fat.

No Trans Fat in Peanut Butter

According to a recent study by the United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS), the levels of trans-fatty acids in both natural and commercial brands of peanut butter are non-detectable(3). According to this study there is no basis to the rumors that commercial peanut butters have trans fats-which appear to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Phytochemicals

Peanuts and peanut butter also contain phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, thought to be beneficial to health. Recent research has identified resveratrol in peanuts, the same phytochemical found in grapes and red wine(4). Additional research shows that peanuts contain many important phytosterols, including beta-sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol(5).

Currently there is no set recommendation for the amount of phytochemicals we should include in our diets, but nutrition scientists suggest eating more whole foods, like peanuts and peanut butter, that contain these beneficial plant chemicals.

Nutrition Scientists Take Another Look at Peanut Butter

Recent nutrition research is showing that type of fat in the diet (unsaturated vs. saturated) may be more important than the amount of fat in the diet. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000 suggest food choices that are moderate in total fat and low in saturated fat and cholesterol(6). The guidelines recognize that not all fats are equal when it comes to health. Saturated fats raise blood levels of cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease, one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Taking a moderate approach to total fat-and choosing the mono- and polyunsaturated fats more often-is the message here. The majority of the fat in peanuts and peanut butter is mono- and polyunsaturated fat, the "good" kind of fat.

Similarly, The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) at the National Institutes of Health recently issued guidelines recommending a moderate approach to fat intake and emphasizing good unsaturated fats. These guidelines for people needing to lower their blood cholesterol encourage consumers to reduce their daily intake of saturated fat to less than 7% of calories, and to limit dietary cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg a day. What is new is that the NCEP dietary guidelines now allow for up to 35% of calories from fat, raised from 25% of calories from fat, provided most of it is the good, unsaturated fat(7). The guidelines are as follows:

Polyunsaturated fat Up to 10% of total calories
Monounsaturated fat Up to 20% of total calories
Saturated Fat Less than 7% of total calories
Total Fat 25-35% of total calories

Peanuts, nuts, and peanut butter, like other foods with significant amounts of monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat, may help lower cholesterol levels when substituted for foods high in saturated fat and consumed as part of a calorie-balanced diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. One ounce of peanuts contains about 14 grams of total fat of which only 2 grams are saturated fat. Two tablespoons of peanut butter contains 16.3 grams total fat of which only 3.3 grams are saturated fat.

More information on peanuts and health is available from The Peanut Institute,
a nonprofit organization that supports nutrition research and develops educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles. Visit www.peanut-institute.org

References:
1. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 15, August 2002. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl
2. Rimm, E.; Willett, W.C.; Hu, F.B.; Sampson, L.; Colditz, G.A.; Manson, J.E.; Hennekens, C.H.; Stampfer, M.J. Folate and Vitamin B6 From Diet and Supplements in Relation to Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Among Women. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1998;279:359-364.
3. Sanders, T. Non-detectable Levels of trans-Fatty Acids in Peanut Butter. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2001;49:2349-2351.
4. Sanders, T.H., McMichael, R.W. and Hendrix, K.W. Occurrence of Resveratrol in Edible Peanuts. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2000;48:1243-46.
5. Awad, A.B.; Chan, K.; Downie, A.; Fink, C.S. Peanuts as a source of B-sitosterol, a sterol with anticancer properties. Nutrition and Cancer. 2000;36(2):238-241.
6. United States Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000.
7. National Institutes of Health News Release: NCEP Issues Major New Cholesterol Guidelines (2001, May 15). Retrieved May 18, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www.nih.gov/news