Scientifically called Arachis Hypogaea and commonly known as Peanut is an underground legume originating from South America. Well, this you can get on innumerable sites but let us read more about these groundnuts! In general, they are called nuts, but speaking botanically, these are actual legumes not akin to walnuts and almonds that can be seen growing on tress!

In this article, we will talk about a mosaic of facts on peanuts that will definitely help you nutritionally, physically and might also land some beauty hacks in your mind! Here it goes!

10 Amazing Facts about Peanuts you might not have known before –

• The Protein Nut

This South American originated legume has a myriad of benefits in one’s daily dietary ritual if one adopts it. For starters, peanuts (also known as groundnuts, earth nuts and Boogers) are immensely high in Protein, which is a substance highly consumed by fitness freaks and people indulged in muscle building spheres.

Peanuts are rich plant based products with protein content in it ranging from around 22-30%. Also, Arachin  and Conarachin are the most abundantly found proteins in peanuts, which, sometimes can be extremely allergenic for some people’s metabolisms.

In brief

Go crazy with the protein rich product and say hi to naturally built muscles! J

• Do Peanuts make you gain Weight?

Which nuts are high in fats? Wait, you know – Peanuts! Yes, these legumes/lentils/beans (call them what you like) have a high amount of fat stored in them that ranges from 44-56% and is mostly mono and poly-unsaturated fat (it is okay to ignore the figures, just eat them!).

But these fats won’t make you actually fat. No indeed! Rather, it helps decrease obesity which is on a tremendous rise in some countries like the States. A lot of studies have been done in this matter which shows that peanuts do not make you gain weight, despite having a large amount of fats and calories in it. These are good and healthy calories (believe me).

Furthermore, some observational experiments on people reveal the fact that a balanced consumption of peanuts help reduce obesity risks and has also shown a weight decrease in some when they substituted other sources of low fat diet with the same.

In brief

It’s a miracle when you get to know that a fat and calorie containing nut can help you lose weight! Go Pea-NUTS J

• Diabetes and Peanuts

Carbs are a death threat to diabetic humans but guess what? There exists a Pea-nutty solution for this sweet disease. Yes, peanuts are very much low in carbs, the content of which is only about 13-16% in total. Also, there is a thing called Glycemic Index which, in fact, is a measure of how quickly the human bloodstream gets filled up with carbs. But guess what? These amazing nuts have a very low glycemic index as it is extremely enriched with high fibers, proteins and good fat, which makes them specifically edible for people hit with diabetes!

In brief

Peanuts have low carbs, thus making them an amazingly good food choice for diabetic souls! J

• Peanut – A natural (edible) mineral

Yes, that’s right! Peanuts contain a vast amount of vitamins and minerals that can help boost your body metabolism and strengthen your immune power. Some of these are enlisted as :

• Biotin – richest dietary source; mostly important for pregnant ladies
• Niacin – reduces risk pertaining to heart problems; also known as vitamin B3
• Folate – known as vitamin B9 or folic acid; again, important during pregnancy
• Manganese – also said to have been found in water and some foods
• Vitamin E- deemed as a powerful anti-oxidant
• Thiamin – known as vitamin B1; helps functioning of the heart, muscles and nerve cells of the human body in a much better way
• Phosphorous – peanuts contain this mineral in a good fashion which assists the growth and maintenance of body tissues
• Magnesium – intake of this essential dietary mineral helps curb heart disease

In brief

When it comes to consuming excellent sources of several vitamins and minerals, you now know what to eat!

• Are they really Nuts?

Peanuts generally belong to the legumes family and are not actually nuts because unlike other nuts, these grow underground and not on trees like other nuts such as hazelnuts and chestnuts. These are edible as they belong to the Leguminosae branch like chickpea, beans, lentils and so on!

In brief

Do not confuse them with other nuts because they are more than that. Also, you can get them in a myriad number of organic stores, so what are you waiting for? J

• Peanuts are more than what they sound

Until now, we only surmised that these are healthy edible plant based products which could be only consumed in their original raw form. Well, let us think beyond that. There are a plethora of things you can make with peanuts. Like, for starters, let us talk about the world famous peanut butter! Peanuts make up 90% of its recipe.

Who invented that? Who thought of converting this normal legume into a tasty paste?

Well, I guess some researchers throw some light on this question. According to them, the ancient Aztecs gave a kick-start to peanut mashing years ago, which later, in the 1890s gave birth to a much more modern version of now known Peanut Butter! Nowadays, some of its ingredients might include oils, sugar and salt! You can also spread this fantastically healthy butter on your daily breads. It is hard to pick up your favorite one but go ahead!

In brief

Besides consuming them in their raw form, you can also go for salted peanuts, roasted ones, peanut butter, peanut spread, peanut jam, marmalade and so forth! J

• When is the right time to introduce peanuts in one’s diet?

From early on one should start including these fibrous nuts in one’s daily meals. There is a specific reason as to this early introduction of peanuts in human diet. Very many people are allergic to peanuts or some substances in it, because let’s face it, not every body system welcomes likely foods and there are side effects to everything (yes, everything, that’s why there are words such as ‘control’ and ‘balance’ in the dictionaries :p).

The New England Journal of Medicine (United Kingdom) provides light on this matter. One of its published articles says that by consuming peanuts since childhood drastically reduces the pervasiveness of peanut related allergies, no matter even if your kid stops eating them at a certain age! Sounds good, doesn’t it?

In brief

Save your future money on peanut allergy medication and give an early consideration to these nuts in your children’s diet routine!

Some fun facts about Pea-go-crazy-nuts :

• Ever heard about Peanut Butter and sandwich? Guess what do they consist of? Answer – grape jam, strawberry jam and smooth peanut butter.

• These days each day or month is celebrated as some or the other thing! Regarding peanuts, there also exists a month that is celebrated as Peanut National Month – MARCH.

• Peanuts are also called GOOBERS which sounds very funny when pronounced!

• Some people do crazy things. Well, the famous astronaut Alan Shepard once took with him a peanut to the moon!

• In peanut growing areas of South America, Boiled Peanuts are counted as delicacies!

• The all-time favorite singer and musician, Elvis Presley, loved eating peanuts.

• Do peanuts help your hair grow?

Just like eggs, peanuts are extensively enriched with Biotin (as mentioned in point 4), a B vitamin that gradually escalates hair growth and is medically good for your overall scalp health. Most frequently, brittle hair is caused by the lack or deficiency of this important vitamin, which can be re-implemented in your diet by consuming peanuts! Several hair friendly nutrients can be found in these, beneficial for maintaining healthy hair. They also contain a nice amount of omega 3 fatty acids fruitful for your hair.

In brief

With this information, now you know what to do for getting sassy hair!

• Peanuts and skin? Wait, here you go!

A sound consumption of peanuts is efficiently effective in getting lustrous skin because of the existence of mono and polyunsaturated fats. These compounds assist in trashing out unwanted toxins from our body and helps prevent pimple breakouts, excess skin oil and saggy skin!

Consumption of peanuts help in getting rid of poisonous skin damage and provides one with clear, flawless and shining skin!

In brief

Do not overthink about your skin, grab some peanuts and stay beautiful!

• Afraid of getting old? Go on, read more!

Premature ageing is something that is prevalent nowadays in this extremely modern polluted world where people know no proper definitions of healthy foods, of what to eat, and where to get such things! And even if they do know, they are still unaware of how some foods can be beneficial for their early ageing. Here is what you should know in order to prevent premature ageing.

Your dark spots and wrinkles can disappear with some peanuts in your daily consumption as they contain powerful and effective antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E in it. To add more to it, there is an anti-ageing substance known as ‘Resveratrol’ that keeps premature ageing bane at a far distance and in turn leaves us with a healthy, nourishing and any-kind-of-spot-free-skin!

In brief

Go make your skin forever young and healthy by eating some peanuts!

So what are you waiting for now? With all this information in your head, you just need to do 2 things – put some Elvis ‘the king’ Presley’s music on and GET HIGH ON PEANUTS !!