Groundnuts have very good nutritional value and they have considerable medicinal value. Groundnut is particularly valued for its protein content, which is of high biological value. Groundnuts contain more protein than meat – about two and a half times more than eggs and far more than any other vegetable food except soybeans and yeast. The proteins in groundnut are well-balanced except for slight deficiency in some of the essential amino acids.
Hence apart from their nutritional value, groundnuts have considerable medicinal value. They contain a good deal of oil which is very easily digested. And for this reason, they are useful consumptives. The oil is regarded as excellent aperients or mild laxative and emollient which soften the skin. Eating fresh roasted groundnuts with milk is a very nutritious diet for growing children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. It builds a resistance against all infections, particularly tuberculosis and hepatitis.
According to Dr Peter N. Dennis, groundnuts are one of the blessings that have been offered to mankind to help combat most of these modern-day ailments, but because of the wrong perception of its oil which also happens to be one of the most nutritious, people tend to avoid it like a plague. “Groundnut is a very nutritious nut, which we all have to learn to cultivate in one or two of our diets as it has many tremendous benefits to our health. It is a very good preventive measure for those who frequently suffer from nose bleed. Recently, research showed that it helps in reducing heavy menstruation for women who suffer from heavy periods and it is also very good for our heart, which in turn helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases.”
People typically try to avoid eating nuts because they consider them fatty food. However, peanuts are full of mono-unsaturated fats, which are beneficial to the health. Diets consisting of “good fats” control weight better than low-fat diets, thus making groundnuts a great source of weight management. Groundnut contains 13 different types of vitamins and is also rich in 26 essential minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, amongst others which are beneficial to building and maintaining strong bones.
They are also rich in anti-oxidants as they help in reducing the risk of heart diseases and cancer risk and it also helps in anti-aging thus keeping the body fit, young and trim. Studies have shown that eating peanuts lower a person’s risk of weight gain and promotes good heart health. Unfortunately, the general opinion of eating less fat in an attempt to reduce degenerative diseases like hypertension and diabetes has resulted in labelling groundnuts as “bad” due to their fat content.
However, recent epidemiological and clinical studies have revealed that regular consumption of these nuts actually reduces a lot of ailments. They also provide protection against cancer, obesity, diabetes and Type II diabetes. Groundnuts are eaten in a variety of ways — raw, roasted, boiled, salted, unsalted or crushed to paste. However you decide to eat your groundnut, there is no denying that these wonderful crunchy nuts are a healthy choice in your diet. An inclusion of them in our diet can go a long way in improving our wellbeing and reducing the risk of developing serious health ailment.
