The benefits and harms of peanuts, and its calorie content

Peanuts are an annual plant belonging to the legume family, which has branched shoots and reaches a height of 40 cm, and sometimes 70 cm. Peanuts are of great importance in the agricultural industry, as they produce valuable fruits – peanuts. It is for them that the plant is grown on an industrial scale.

Peanuts are also called peanuts, underground peanuts. These names are not folk art, they came into the Russian language from foreign languages. It is interesting that the fruit brought by the plant is not a nut from a botanical point of view, its correct classification is legume grass.

The cultivated peanut itself has straight multiple stems that grow upwards if the plant has a bush form, or multiple branches lying on the ground, which is typical for creeping forms. The root system of peanuts is quite developed and is represented by a branched stem.

The value of the plant is its fruits – beans, having an oval swollen shape, reaching a length of 6 cm. As they ripen, they tend to the ground, dig into it and ripen there. Inside the beans are seeds – long or flat, the average size of the seeds is comparable to beans, their size can vary from 9 to 20 cm. The color of the seeds is dark red, or pink, cream or grayish yellow. This skin color protects peanuts from insects, the pigment, when it enters the human gastrointestinal tract, can cause poisoning, which manifests itself in stool disorder. However, if the nuts are soaked for a short time in water, then the coloring matter will quickly be removed from the skin of the nut. The time of full ripening of the fruit is the beginning of autumn (September, October).

The homeland of the plant is considered to be South America, and the peanut was valued on the continent even before the time it was discovered by Columbus, which is proved by archaeological excavations. Over time, the peanut spread around the world: the Portuguese brought it to Africa, India, Macau, the Africans to North America, the Spaniards to the Philippines, the Filipinos to China, etc. started only in the USSR.

Composition and calorie content

Other important connections:

• Phytosterols – 220 mg (400% of the RDA), the main part of which is beta-sitosterol (371,4%), which makes it possible to attribute peanuts to women’s products.

• Purine — 42 mg (33,3% of RDI)

• Oxalic acid — 188 mg (25% of RDI)

The benefits of peanuts, what is useful?

The benefits of peanuts are due to its composition. It contains a large amount of proteins, up to 53% fatty oil, consisting of various useful acids, globulins, glutenins, sugars, saponins, amino acids, vitamins (vitamin E, biotin, pantothenic acid, etc.), and B vitamins prevail. All The 12 amino acids that make up the nut are indispensable for the human body.

The benefits of peanuts are undeniable, experts highlight the following main points that you should pay attention to:

• The composition of the nut includes polyphenols, which are the strongest antioxidants. That is, when eating peanuts, the human body quickly copes with toxins from the external environment, with poisons and other negative factors that poison it.

• Another important function of polyphenols obtained from peanuts is to strengthen the vascular wall and increase its tone.

• Antioxidants are the body’s best-known helpers in preventing cancer. It has been proven that when eating peanuts 2-3 times a week, the risk of developing rectal cancer is reduced by 20%.

• Peanuts have hemostatic properties, so it should be included in the diet of people with hemophilia and who have problems with blood clotting.

• It is useful to use peanuts as a means to lower cholesterol. Thus, heart attacks and strokes are prevented. Due to the content of p-coumaric acid in the nut, the regular inclusion of the nut in food will help reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

• The monounsaturated fats found in peanuts help regulate blood sugar levels. This is especially true for people with diabetes.

• Amino acids, which are part of peanuts, help the immune system, have a beneficial effect on the human psyche.

• Due to the magnesium content in nuts, eating them helps to normalize blood pressure.

• It would be useful to use peanuts during an outbreak of seasonal infections, as they allow the body to quickly cope with pathogenic viruses and bacteria, with stress, with a breakdown. This is possible due to the content of tryptophanic acid in peanuts, which accelerates the production of serotonin.

• Vitamin B3 contained in peanuts stimulates the brain, improves concentration and memory.

• Regular inclusion of peanuts in the diet is the prevention of gallstone disease, normalizes digestion.

• Peanuts are useful for women planning a pregnancy, as they contain folic acid, which helps prevent fetal neural tube disorders.

• In a positive way, peanuts affect male potency, act as a means of preventing the development of adenoma, prostatitis and other diseases of the male genitourinary system.

• The use of peanuts contributes to the normalization of hormonal levels in both the male and female bodies.

• Peanuts are a great source of protein and are recommended for people looking to build muscle. In addition, the nut will be useful for those who want to gain weight. Regarding the inclusion of peanuts in the menu of losing weight people, the opinion of nutritionists is ambiguous. But most of them believe that peanuts can be used as a snack, as a source of protein and healthy fats. But at the same time, you should not eat more than 10 nuts a day.

• As an additional source of fiber, peanuts can act as a remedy for constipation. Also, the fiber contained in nuts enhances intestinal motility.

• Vitamin PP contained in peanuts prevents the development of pellagra, a disease whose symptoms are dementia, diarrhea and dermatitis. Moreover, in terms of the content of nicotinic acid, peanuts are superior to chicken breast and carbonate.

• Eating peanuts has a beneficial effect on a person’s nighttime sleep.

• The daily inclusion of nuts in the menu has a positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair, which is possible due to vitamin E in their composition.

Is peanuts useful roast?

Nutritionists are of the opinion that roasted peanuts are healthier than raw nuts. So, after roasting, a layer appears on the peanuts, which prevents the accelerated destruction of vitamin E. The maximum benefit from peanuts can be obtained if they are roasted without adding salt and with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Another fact that speaks in favor of roasting nuts: after such processing, the content of polyphenols in them increases by 25%. Accordingly, the antioxidant, anti-sclerotic and other beneficial properties of peanuts increase. The antioxidant properties of roasted peanuts have been proven to be equivalent to those of blackberries and strawberries.

It should be noted that the taste of peanuts after such heat treatment becomes better.

However, it is worth remembering that when roasting, the nut acquires a high calorie content, so you need to use it in moderation. This is especially true for obese people.

How many peanuts can you eat per day?

How much peanuts can you eat per day is a question that worries not only dieters, but also those who monitor their health. Experts recommend eating no more than 15-20 nuts per day. Do not forget that in addition to high calorie content, the fruits of the peanut bush are not true nuts, but belong to the legume family. Therefore, their overeating can provoke a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract with flatulence, bloating and even diarrhea. However, 30 g of peanuts will not harm either health or figure.

Can you eat peanuts while breastfeeding?

Many women, after the birth of a child, are interested in the question of whether peanuts can be breastfed. Experts say that it is possible for a woman to consume peanuts during this period, but one should be extremely careful.

It is important to consider the following points:

• Peanuts can cause allergies, and quite serious ones, up to Quincke’s edema and bronchospasm, which is very dangerous for a child’s life. Therefore, in the first month of feeding, it is best to refuse to eat peanuts.

• The newborn’s digestive system is not formed, and peanuts have a high fat content, in connection with this, the first 4 weeks a nursing mother should not use peanuts.

• After a month, you can include 2-4 nuts in your diet. If this does not cause any negative reactions on the part of the child (bloating, allergies, anxiety, etc.), then eating peanuts in small quantities is allowed.

• Since the peanut promotes the production of gastric juice and leads to an increase in appetite, you should not consume it in large quantities during breastfeeding. This can provoke a set of overweight both for the woman herself and for her child.

Breastfeeding experts recommend roasting peanuts in a small amount of oil before eating. In addition, they advise eating it not as an independent product, but in combination with other dishes, for example, adding peanuts to salads.

Harm and contraindications of peanuts

The harm and contraindications of peanuts are not empty warnings of doctors. Peanut is really capable of causing negative reactions from the human body.

It is not recommended to include peanuts in food for the following diseases:

• Gout, arthritis, arthrosis. The product contains too much protein.

• Phlebeurysm. This prohibition is due to the fact that the use of peanuts in food contributes to the thickening of the blood.

• Allergy to peanuts. The peanut is recognized as the strongest allergen, which can cause not only skin rashes, but also Quincke’s edema, angioedema, bronchial spasm, etc. the strongest allergen.

In addition, it is worth remembering that peanuts are very picky about storage conditions, and if they are violated, mold fungus quickly begins to multiply on the nut. When ingested, mold provokes various diseases, up to oncology. An unpleasant musty smell can indicate the staleness of a nut. Therefore, in order to protect the body from toxins, you should purchase peanuts in sealed packaging, without white bloom, chips, and an unpleasant odor. If you choose peanuts in shell, then you need to shake the nut – it should not rattle. The bitter taste of the nut will also indicate the staleness of the nut.

calorie content of peanuts

The calorie content of peanuts is quite high, 100 kcal per 552 g of the product.

• How many calories are in one peanut? One peanut weighing about 0,5 g contains about 3 kcal.

• How much protein is in peanuts? Protein in 100 g of peanuts contains 26,3 g.

• How many carbs are in peanuts? Carbohydrates in 100 g of peanuts 9,9 g.

How to fry peanuts?

The benefits of roasted peanuts are high. However, it is best to buy fresh peanuts in stores and roast them at home. So you can be sure how much oil was added during processing, as well as use salt and other spices at your discretion.

How to fry peanuts in a pan with salt?

For frying peanuts in a pan, it is best to take a pancake maker. It is flat and wide. It is necessary that the nuts cover the bottom of the pan in an even layer. If there are more nuts, they will not be able to fry evenly. Salt for frying peanuts should be fine, coarse salt will crumble and the nuts will not salt well.

In addition, you can dilute salt in water and pour it over the nuts during frying. Then you need to wait for it to evaporate and completely dry the peanuts. To do this, the pan should be held on low heat.

As a rule, the frying time is from 4 to 7 minutes. During the cooking process, the pan should be shaken regularly so that the nuts turn over and brown evenly.

As for the use of oil, you can not add it. Nuts contain a large amount of fat, which is quite enough so that they do not burn during the frying process. If it was decided to add oil after all, then one tablespoon of any vegetable oil is enough for a pound of nuts.

After the nuts are ready, put them on a plate and let cool. The husk on them will crack, so it is best to clean it.

How to fry peanuts in the microwave?

In order to fry peanuts in the microwave, you need to take a suitable dish for this and put the nuts in it in an even layer. Then the microwave oven is set to the highest power and turned on for 4 minutes. Periodically, the microwave should be stopped and the nuts turned over so that they do not burn. It is desirable to do this every 30 seconds.

The fact that the peanut is ready will be indicated by its dark brown color. Do not add large amounts of peanuts as they will be harder to cook. Optionally, you can add salt and spices.

How to fry peanuts in shell in the oven?

Before you start cooking in-shell peanuts in the oven, you must first sort it out. Spoiled and damaged fruits should be discarded. After sorting, the nuts should be evenly distributed on the baking sheet.

The oven must be preheated to 180 °C. A baking sheet is placed in the oven, the nuts are kept under the influence of heat for 25 minutes. Then the baking sheet is removed from the oven and cooled. At this time, the peanuts in the shell will reach full readiness.

How to grow peanuts in the garden?

Every gardener who has planted legumes on his plot at least once knows how to grow peanuts in the garden. The technology of growing beans and peanuts is closely intertwined. Despite the fact that the homeland of the plant is South America, it feels great in the climatic conditions prevailing in Russia.

1. Selecting a site for planting. The peanut loves warmth, so for planting it, you should choose sunny areas where there is no shade during the day. But it is important to protect the plant from strong winds. Peanuts grow best on chernozem soils, in sandy and loamy areas. If the earth is too heavy, it must be enriched with sand and humus. Waterlogged soil is not suitable for planting peanuts.

2. Planting material.  It is best to choose nuts intended for planting in a particular region. You can buy them in gardening stores, as well as from neighbors in the garden, if they got a good harvest. A rich harvest can, as a rule, be obtained from seeds, but the beans themselves are also used for planting, whole and crushed.

3. How to prepare the soil for planting.  The beds should be processed in the fall. It is best to plant peanuts in those areas where cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, tomatoes, cabbage grew before it. You should not sow peanuts in those places where legumes, lentils, beans and peas previously “lived”. The earth needs to be dug up, but not too deep, about the bayonet of a shovel. You can make organic fertilizers: humus, ashes, compost. In the spring, before planting peanuts, the bed should be rid of weeds and harrowed. The distance between the furrows must be at least 70 cm.

4. Planting a plant. Before planting, the seeds should be sorted out. To do this, they are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes. You can use saline instead of potassium permanganate. A tablespoon of salt is enough for a liter of water.

   If it was decided to plant peanuts using a seedling method, then peat pots with nutrient soil are best suited for this purpose. The seed must be applied to a depth of no more than 25 mm. Start planting seedlings should be in early April. Pots are placed in well-lit areas, for example, on a windowsill. Watering peanuts at this time should be regular, but moderate. Seedlings should be transplanted without removing them from the pot. This is done 30 days after planting the seed. If the climate in the region is moderate, then you can keep the seedlings at home for up to 60 days, but no more. Leave a distance of 25 cm between plants.

   If it was decided to plant peanuts in open ground, then you should wait for the soil temperature to be 14 ° C, but not less. Daytime air temperatures should not fall below +18. You need to plant the seeds to a depth of 10 cm. You need to plant 2-3 beans per hole, since their germination is unknown. It is important at first to protect the beds from birds, as they destroy not only the seeds themselves, but also young sprouts. Crows, magpies and blackbirds are especially dangerous.

5. Peanut care. It is necessary to water the plant from the moment when multiple shoots appeared. The fact is that in May the soil remains moistened with melt water, which is enough for the plant. Young shoots begin to bloom almost immediately. Three weeks after the completion of flowering, the bushes should be spudded. At this time, the formation of underground fruits.

   In the same period, it is worth taking care of the first feeding. Mineral fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium can be applied to the soil. You need to weed the nut until the leaves are closed. Then each bush will be able to independently cope with weed grass, protecting itself from its harmful effects. Watering the bushes during the summer is necessary only if there is a severe drought in the territory. Watering in late August – early September is not advisable.

6. Harvest. Harvest storage. In mid-autumn, you can start harvesting. Bushes need to be dug up with a shovel. The plant should be lightly shaken to clear it of soil. Then it is turned over and laid out on the ground, upside down. This will allow the peanuts to air dry. Then the bushes are transferred under a canopy, or stacked in a dry room with good ventilation. It takes 4 days to dry peanuts. When the stem becomes completely dry, the peanuts are dried at room temperature and put into cloth bags or cardboard boxes in a dry place. To speed up the drying of fruits, you can use the oven, but the temperature in it should not be set above 40 ° C.