Peanuts are a great source of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Having a balance of these three macronutrients is essential for people of all ages and health conditions.

Outside of these three macronutrients, they are loaded with many other essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals including calcium and iron as well as Omega 3 Fats.

What makes peanuts such a great food is that they can be eaten as a snack between meals, they are small in size and light in weight and can be carried around anywhere.

Peanuts can be incorporated in certain dishes too. However, like all other foods, we need to know how much we can have and what is the limit before overeating.

Like all things, too much of one thing can’t be good for you. Moreover, that is indeed the case for peanuts.

Other than that, having a better understanding of the health benefits of it is important to know as it is a great food to add to your diet.

Pros and Cons of Consuming Peanuts

Pros:

High in Protein and fibre

Peanuts are high in protein and fibre. These are two essential nutrients your diet needs to have daily.

Protein is essential in muscle tissue recovery, and fibre helps to lower blood pressure and inflammation.

By having enough of these two nutrients, you will develop a stronger immune system. As some daily meals may not have high amounts of protein and fibre, they can provide you with these nutrients as an in-between snack.

High in Antioxidants

It’s great source of antioxidants. It’s vital to have antioxidants as it improves heart health and prevents damage to cells from free radicals.

Getting enough antioxidants in your diet means that you can also decrease your risk of developing cancer.

Appetite Suppressant

If you ever get hungry during the day outside of meal times, peanuts are perfect. They contain a steady level of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

Having peanuts as an on the go snack will prevent you from going hungry during the day and binge eating junk food such as sweets or processed food.

Different Ways To Eat Peanuts

Peanuts are very popular as an on the go snack. However, there are many ways to eat it, cook it and incorporate it into dishes.

In some countries, peanuts can be used as a paste and turned into a sauce for meats and vegetables. You can also add peanuts to your rice or in your salad dressing.

Peanut butter is also available to purchase and can be used as a spread for bread. Peanuts can be roasted, boiled or even fried.

To add all the nutritious benefits of peanuts into your diet, you can do so by trying any of these options.

Prevents Risks of Stroke

Peanuts have an abundance of monounsaturated fats. This is considered one of the best fats for heart health.

Getting enough monounsaturated fats in your diet will help your body to boost its artery-clearing process and keeps your blood flowing smoothly. This lowers the risk of suffering a stroke.

Cons:

High Blood Pressure

Peanuts do not naturally contain sodium. However one of the most common ways to eat peanuts is to have them salted.

Moreover, when they are salted, this can significantly spike your blood pressure due to its sodium content.

If you have salted peanuts, try to moderate the amount you consume. If you have unsalted peanuts, you should be fine.

Weight gain

These nutsdon’t make you fat. However, overeating will. As they are so small and can be brought around as a snack, it’s effortless to overeat unconsciously.

Peanuts are high in fats and carbohydrate, if you have too much of these, your body will convert them into fat if you aren’t active.

Try to limit how much you eat by setting a limit or not bringing too much for your snack. Counting your calories may also help you to manage how much you can or should be having.

Unbalanced Diet

If you eat too much, you may lose your appetite for eating other foods such as fruit and vegetables. Supplementing it with other healthy foods is essential.

For example, they are high in vitamin E but don’t have vitamin C which can be found in fruit and vegetables. Always remember that these nuts are to supplement an already healthy diet. They aren’t to replace other foods or meals.

Additives

When going shopping for groceries, you’ll notice that they are commonly pre-packaged with additives such as sugar and salt. Some may be coated with sugar syrup or even fried.

Don’t be fooled. Even though these same packages say they’re healthy, it’s always better to stick with the natural ones. A little bit of salt is still ok but try to stay away from any additives.

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