The most common

ways of using peanuts

in India is in the form
of oil and as roasted
snack.

Peanuts are popularly

used as seed oil in
India. Since they are
obtained from the
ground, they are also
sometimes called as
groundnuts and also
known as ‘Mungfali‘
inHindi, ‘Pallelu‘ in
Telugu, ‘Kadalai‘ in
Tamil, ‘Nilakkadala‘ in
Malayalam, ‘Kadale
kaayi‘ in Kannada,
‘Singdana‘ in Gujarati
and ‘Shengdaane‘ in
Marathi. Peanuts are
easily available round
the year and almost
everywhere in
India. They are easily
available round the
year and almost
everywhere in India.
Peanuts are also
taken as snacks in
many households
especially in India. In
reality, peanuts are
actually legumes. But
since they have all the
properties of nuts like
almonds, cashew
nuts, etc., these are
also included in the
family of nuts.

Peanuts
Nutrition Chart:
(USDA)
 Save
[ Read: Amazing
Health Benefits Of
Nuts ]
Health Benefits
Of Peanuts:
Here are some of the
most well-known
health benefits of
Peanuts.

1. Rich in Energy:
Peanuts contain
vitamins, minerals,
nutrients and anti-
oxidants and thus are
rich energy sources
(1).
2. Cholesterol:
It lowers bad
cholesterol and
increases good
cholesterol in the body
(2). Peanuts contain
mono-unsaturated
fatty acids especially
oleic acid that
prevents coronary
diseases.
3. Growth:
Peanuts are rich in
proteins. The amino
acids present in them
are good for proper
growth and
development of body
(3).
4. Fights Stomach
Cancer:
Poly-phenolic anti-
oxidants are present
in the peanuts in high
concentrations. P-
Coumaric acid has the
ability to reduce the
risk of stomach cancer
by reducing the
productions of
carcinogenic nitrous-
amines (4).
5. Fights against
Heart Diseases,
Nerves Diseases,
Alzheimer’s
Disease, and
Infections:
A poly-phenolic anti-
oxidant, Resveratrol
present in peanuts
prevents heart
diseases,
cancers, nervous
diseases and viral or
fungal infections
efficiently (5).
[ Read: Benefits of
Cashew Nuts ]
6. Reduces the
Chances of Stroke:
The anti-oxidant,
Resveratrol in peanuts
prevents heart strokes
by increasing
the production of nitric
oxide (6).
7. Anti-oxidants:
Peanuts contain anti-
oxidants in high
concentrations (7).
These anti-oxidants
become more active
when peanuts are
boiled. There is a 2-
fold increase in
Biochanin-A and 4-
fold increase in
Genistein content.
These reduce the
damage done by free
radicals produced in
the body.
8. Protects Skin:
Vitamin E in peanuts
helps in maintaining
the integrity of cells of
mucous membrane
and the skin. This
protects them from
free radicals which
cause great damage
(8).
9. Vitamins:
Peanuts contain B
complex, vitamins like
niacin, riboflavin,
thiamin, vitamin B6,
vitamin B9,
pantothenic acid etc
(9).
10. Minerals:
Potassium,
manganese, copper,
calcium, magnesium,
iron, selenium and
zinc are some of the
minerals present in
peanuts. These play
an important role in
many different body
functions (10).
 [ Read: Health
Benefits Of
Macadamia Nuts ]

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Image: Getty
11. Gall Stones:
Just an ounce of
peanuts or two
tablespoons of peanut
butter each week can
save you from gall
stones or gallbladder
diseases with 25%
reduced risk. This
amazing health benefit
of peanuts keeps all
the diseases at bay
(11).
12. Low Risk of
Weight Gain:
Women who eat
peanuts or peanut
butter at least twice a
week are less likely to
be susceptible to
obesity than those
who don’t. If you eat
peanut butter every
morning with bread
slices, you have less
chances of gaining
weight (12).
13. Colon Cancer:
Peanuts can reduce
colon cancer
especially in women.
Eating at least 2
spoons of peanut
butter twice a week
can reduce the risk of
colon cancer in
women by up to 58%
and in men by up to
27%. This is one of
the best benefits of
peanuts for women
(13).
14. Helps in
Fertility:
If taken before and
during early
pregnancy, the folic
acid lowers the risk of
baby being born with
serious neural tube
defects reduced by up
to 70% (14).
15. Regulates
Blood Sugar:
Manganese in
peanuts helps in
calcium absorption,
fats and
carbohydrates
metabolism and sugar
level regulation in
blood (15).
16. Fights
Depression:
Low Serotonin levels
leads to depression.
Tryptophan in peanuts
increases the release
of this chemical and
thus helps you fight
depression (16).
Eating peanut benefits
health in many ways
and you should make
it a point to take in a
minimum of two
tablespoons of peanut
butter each week in
order to keep those
dangerous diseases
away and stay
healthy!

Peanut Benefits
Of Skin:
Apart from satisfying
hunger pangs,
consumption of
peanuts also makes
the skin smooth,
supple and younger
looking.

Some of the benefits

of peanuts for skin
include:
17. The anti-
inflammatory
properties of peanuts
treat skin disorders
like psoriasis and
eczema. The fatty
acids present in
peanuts also reduce
swelling and skin
redness. Peanuts
contain Vitamin E,
zinc and magnesium,
which keeps the skin
glowing from within
and fights the bacteria
that lead to acne. The
protein content in
peanuts also helps
with cell regeneration
(17).
18. Peanuts contain a
relatively good amount
of fatty acids which is
believed to be critical
to the brain’s nerve
cells. This brain
friendly cell helps with
stress
management and
mood swings to
prevent various skin
disorders like wrinkles,
fine line and dullness.
19. Fiber in nuts is
essential for the
elimination of toxins
and waste. Toxins
inside the body reflect
on our outside
appearance, causing
breakout, dullness and
excess oil. Eating
peanuts regularly
helps flush out excess
toxins from the body
to give you a healthy
skin (18).
20. Peanut is loaded
with magnesium (19)
which calms our
nerve, muscles and
blood vessels to
provide better blood
flow to the skin. This,
in turn, gives you a
youthful and healthy
skin.
21. Skin damage
occurs as a result of
oxidation, a chemical
process in which
unstable molecules
called free radicals
steal electrons from
healthy cells. Vitamin
E in peanuts defends
our skin’s cells against
the damage of
oxidative stress. It
guards our skin from
the harsh UV rays of
the sun to protect
against sun burn and
skin damage (20).
22. Signs of ageing
like wrinkles,
discoloration and
decreased elasticity
are one of our biggest
beauty concerns.
Peanut contains
significant amount of
Vitamin C which is
required for the
production of collagen.
Collagen is required to
sustain tendons, skin
and cartilage. It
provides firmness and
elasticity to the skin to
keep it young and
supple.
23. Beta carotene, an
antioxidant found in
peanuts (21) is very
critical for skin’s
health. It is converted
into Vitamin A in the
body which helps in
the growth and repair
of body tissues. Thus
peanuts help to heal
wounds and bruises at
a faster pace.
24. Peanuts are
packed with omega 3
fatty acids which help
our skin in many
ways (22). Omega 3
fatty acids reduce
inflammation in the
body to prevent skin
eruptions. It lowers the
risk of developing
squamous cell skin
cancer. It also
moisturizes and
hydrates the skin from
within to treat dry and
scaly skin.
25. Peanuts are very
effective for treating
skin problems like
pustules, skin rashes
and rosacea.
26. Peanut butter
facial mask is gaining
immense popularity
these days. Applying
natural peanut butter
on the face clears
away the dirt and
impurities to give you
a healthy looking skin.
Wash your face with a
cleanser and then
apply peanut butter on
your entire face. Allow
the mask to dry and
then wash it off
by massaging your
skin slowly in circular
motions. Rinse your
face with warm water
and pat dry. Do a
patch test first and
then apply it to the
entire face as allergic
reactions are very
common side effects
of peanuts. Those
who are allergic to
peanuts should stay
away from it (23).
Peanut Benefits
Of Hair:
27. Peanuts contain
several hair friendly
nutrients that are
beneficial for
maintaining healthy
hair. It contains a high
level of omega 3 fatty
acids which
strengthens scalp
health and hair
follicles to promote
hair growth (24).
28. Peanut is an
excellent source of
larginine, an amino
acid which is very
helpful for treating
male pattern baldness
and to encourage the
growth of healthy hair.
It also improves the
health of artery walls
and prevents blood
clotting to improve
blood flow. A proper
blood flow throughout
the body and hair is
imperative to get
healthy and strong
hair.

29. Deficiency in
vitamin E can lead to
brittle and weak hair
which can easily
break. Including
proper level of vitamin
E in your diet ensures
that the hair roots
receive a rich supply
of hair healthy
vitamins to keep them
strong and healthy.
Selection and
Storage:
• Peanuts are
available in the
supermarkets and
grocery stores all
year round in
airtight packets. It
is available in
different forms
like shelled,
unshelled,
 roasted, salted
etc.
• Buying unshelled
peanuts is any
day better than
the processed
ones as
processed nuts
 are treated with a
number of
chemicals to
loosen their skins,
making them unfit
for consumption.
• When buying raw,
unshelled
 peanuts, ensure
that the pod of
peanut is
compact and
cream in colour.
• Make sure there
is no evidence of
moisture or insect
 damage and they
don’t rattle when
you shake them.
• Avoid buying
shriveled shelled
nuts as this
indicates the
peanut’s age.
 Peanut’s shell
should be brittle
and should come
off easily.
• Unshelled
groundnuts can
be placed in a
cool and dark
place for many
months whereas
shelled ones can
be stored inside
an airtight
container for
years.
• Since peanuts
have high oil
content, it can
lead to quick
breakdown when
left at room
temperature for a
long time. You
can store peanuts
at room
temperature but
they are best
stored in
refrigerator to
maintain its
freshness and
 prolong its shelf
life. The low water
content in peanut
will prevent it from
freezing.
• Peanuts should
not be chopped
before storing.
• Peanuts turn
chewy and soggy
and eventually
turn rancid with
time if not stored
properly.
• Ensure that they
don’t have a
 distinctively “off”
odour before
using them as the
odour indicates
that they have
become rancid.
• You can store
peanuts in glass
 or plastic
container and zip
lock bags.
• Peanuts tend to
absorb odour
easily so keep
them away from
 other pungent or
smelly food.
• Roasting peanuts
decrease their
shelf life by
bringing out their
oil. So consume
roasted peanuts
as soon as
possible.