peanuts (Photo : Reuters)
A new Dutch study has discovered that people who eat 10 grams or more of peanuts or tree nuts daily have a lower risk of dying from fatal diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The "remarkable" health benefits of peanuts and nuts are due to the many vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber they contain.
Chemical compounds are another key component of peanuts and nuts, according to Irish Examiner. They include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which could affect the lower fatality rates.
However, the various health benefits are not provided by commercial peanut butter. The trans fat and salt in the store-bought variety could block peanuts' protective effects.
The research was included in the Netherlands Cohort Study, which was launched in 1986. It has included over 120,000 55-to-69-year-old Dutch men and women.
Researchers learned that peanuts and nuts provided the greatest decrease in risk of death for respiratory disease, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes, respectively. Rounding out the list of top five deadly diseases were cancer and cardiovascular diseases, according to Stuff.
Scientists evaluated peanut, peanut butter, and nut consumption. They assessed the portion size and intake frequency of the natural and processed foods.
The health benefits of peanuts and nuts were maximized when the study's participants consumed them daily. However, eating more than 10g did not further reduce morality risk.
Piet van den Brandt, the study's lead researcher, said that their findings were "remarkable." He noted that other published studies of the Cohort Study supported the findings of the latest research.
The researchers also learned fun facts about regular nut eaters. They usually are younger, more educated, eat healthier foods, and drink more alcohol.
Consuming nuts also tends to affect women in particular ways. They tend to be slimmer, and less likely to be smokers or diabetes sufferers.
While the peanut is often referred to as a nut, it is technically in the bean family. Canadian Marcellus Edson was awarded the first patent for modern peanut butter, in 1884.
The new study about the health benefits of peanuts and nuts was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
