National Peanut Board
The National Peanut Board is a research and promotion board that works on behalf of all USA peanut farmers. The Board's goal is to support and expand existing markets, develop new markets, and facilitate the economical production of high-quality USA peanuts for consumers worldwide. It also funds research to reduce production costs, explore nutrition research, and investigate potential ways to lessen peanut allergy.
The peanut has been a common ingredient in many world cuisines, beginning in the pre-Inca Amazon basin, to the cuisines of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe, and has made a large impact in today's globally inspired menus. Peanuts offer a unique ability to introduce exotic ingredients and dishes by providing a familiar taste. In restaurants across the country and around the world, peanuts and peanut butter are helping chefs earn rave reviews. As a showcase ingredient, they offer a one-of-a-kind flavor and texture that can be enjoyed in baked goods, sauces, and dressings. Trend-setting menus feature a flavor discovery for diners such as Chinese 5 Spice Peanuts, Hearty Quinoa and Peanut Soup, Green Papaya Salad with Lemongrass Shrimp and Peanuts, and Peanut Crusted Salmon and Halibut. Peanuts' versatility leads to creative menu possibilities that compliment virtually any cuisine from Asian and Latin American to Mediterranean.
Peanut inspired dishes—from appetizers, main dishes, to desserts and even beverages—are right in line with the worldwide emergence of the pursuit of health and wellness. During a recent Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives continuing medical education conference hosted by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard a luncheon buffet featured dishes such as Salad Rolls with Jicama, Peanuts, Basil, and Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce; Peanut Chutney; Peanut Orange Crusted Salmon; and Roasted Peanuts with Aromatic Lime, Lemongrass, and Chilies.
Peanuts and their versatile products ranging from butters to flours offer endless opportunities to improve the nutrient density of daily foods. A 1998 Harvard study concluded that women who eat five tablespoons of peanut butter each week can reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by more than 20 percent. This is a great opportunity to illustrate how replacing refined grains and sugary snacks with peanuts and peanut-containing products can be a healthy way to create satisfying meals and snacks.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), an ounce of peanuts provides more than 10 percent of the Daily Reference Value (DV) for protein and niacin. A 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter is an excellent source of niacin, containing 20 percent of the DV. Additionally, peanuts and peanut butter are good sources of vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus.
The health protective phytochemicals that have been isolated in peanuts include flavonoids, phenolics, resveratrol (yes, the same beneficial compound found in red wine!) and plant sterols, such as beta-sistosterol. More than 80 percent of the fat in peanut butter is the cholesterol-lowering, good unsaturated kind, and as with all plant foods, peanut butter contains no cholesterol. Exciting research from Penn State proves that when it comes to losing and maintaining weight loss in a healthy way, a higher unsaturated fat, peanut-rich diet produced better results than a low fat diet. In the Penn State study, the peanut-rich eating plan provided added cardiovascular benefits related to blood cholesterol levels and triglycerides during weight maintenance as compared to the low fat diet. Harvard researchers came to a similar conclusion when their study found three times as many people were able to stick to a higher unsaturated fat weight loss plan versus a traditional low fat weight loss diet. Success was attributed to better nutrient intakes and satisfying meals that included more vegetables, peanuts, peanut butter, tree nuts, and healthy unsaturated oils.
As consumers and the food industry become more sensitive to improving the types of fats we eat, peanuts and their products can help meet the heart health guidelines for limiting unhealthy saturated and trans fats intakes as well as produce great-tasting menu items consumers will love.
Contact
National Peanut Board Headquarters
2839 Paces Ferry Road, Suite 210
Atlanta, GA 30339
Telephone: 678-424-5750 / toll free 1-866-825-7946
Fax: 678-424-5751
Email: peanuts@nationalpeanutboard.org
References
Awad AB, Chan KC, Downie AC, Fink CS. Peanuts as a source of beta-sitosterol, a sterol with anticancer properties. Nutr Cancer. 2000;36(2);238-41
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. (2000 December). Nutrition Insights: The Role of Nuts in a Healthy Diet. Washington, DC. Retrieved January 30, 2001. www.usda.gov/cnpp
Hu, F.B.; Stampfer, M.J.; Manson, J.E.; Rimm, E.; Colditz, G.A.; Rosner, B.A.; Speizer, F.E.; Hennekens, C.H.; Willett, W.C. Frequent Nut Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women: Prospective Cohort Study. British Medical Journal. 1998;317:1341-5.
Prineas, R.J.; Kushi, L.H.; Folsom, A.R.; Bostick, R.M. Letter to the Editor. New England Journal of Medicine. 1993;329:359.
Fraser, G.; Sabate, J.; Beeson, L.W.; Strahan, M.T. A Possible Effect of Nut Consumption on Risk of Coronary Heart Disease. Arch Intern Med. 1992; 152:1416-24.
Albert, C.M., Gaziano, M., Willett, W.C., Manson, J.E. Nut Consumption and Decreased Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Physicians' Health Study. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:1382-1387.