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• Numerous studies have shown that eating peanuts regularly benefits heart health.
• Four large studies showed that the more frequently you eat peanuts, the more you decrease your risk of heart disease.
• Consuming 1-1.5 ounces of peanuts once or twice a week reduces risk of heart disease by 25%.
• Eating peanuts five or more times per week reduces the risk of heart disease by half.

The risk of heart disease decreases the more frequently you eat peanuts

 

Oil-roasted salted peanuts are certified by the American Heart Association to carry the Heart-Check logo.

1 ounce of salted peanuts generally contains less sodium than one dinner roll.

 

Download The Peanut Institute’s Heart-Healthy Peanuts fact sheet, 2017

Download The Peanut Institute’s Heart-Healthy Peanuts fact sheet, 2014

Learn more about why peanuts are a heart-healthy food.

1 ounce of salted peanuts generally contains less sodium than one dinner roll.

HEALTHY FATS

• Peanuts contain the same healthy monounsaturated fats as olive oil, which help to decrease bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.
• Research shows that eating peanuts daily significantly reduced cholesterol and triglycerides for those with elevated levels at baseline.

 PLANT-BASED PROTEIN

• Peanuts contain almost 8 grams of plant-based protein per ounce—more protein than any other nut.
• Replacing red meat with a plant-based protein like peanuts can decrease the risk of heart disease by 19%.
• Peanuts contain a unique amino acid profile high in arginine. Arginine promotes the production of nitric oxide–a vasodilator that works to open blood vessels and improve blood flow.
• Peanuts contain more arginine that any other nut and any other whole food.

• A major study from Harvard showed that the risk of type 2 diabetes decreases the more frequently peanuts and peanut butter are consumed.
• Even a handful of peanuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter a day can reduce risk of heart disease by 25%.

Research shows that eating peanut products or vinegar with a starchy meal stimulates insulin release and improves blood sugar levels an hour after a meal.

Peanuts and peanut butter promote stable blood sugar

• The healthy oils and plant-based protein in peanuts and peanut butter help maintain stable blood sugar levels.
• Eating a handful of peanuts every day may be as effective in reducing long-term blood glucose or Hemoglobin A1C as prescription medication.

Peanuts and peanut butter prevent sugar crashes

Peanuts help maintain balanced blood sugar levels to prevent crashing, keeping energy levels and appetite in check.

Eating peanuts reduces hunger and helps manage weight. Researchers attribute this effect to the plant-based protein, fiber and low glycemic index of peanuts and peanut butter.

Peanuts keep you satisfied

Peanuts and peanut butter “stick” with you for about 2 1/2 hours versus 1/2 hour for a high-carbohydrate food like rice cakes.

Peanut eaters are leaner

Adults and children who eat peanuts and peanut butter have significantly lower BMIs than non-peanut eaters.

Eating peanuts or peanut butter for breakfast increases the hormone PYY, which promotes satiety and satisfaction, helping to control appetite for up to eight hours.

Vegetable intake improves by pairing vegetables with peanut butter.

Why Peanut Butter?

• Dips are often used to encourage vegetable and fruit consumption, but not all dips are healthy.
• Peanut butter is high in essential nutrients, fiber, and protein.
• Peanut butter is well liked by children.

Overweight 12-year-old children who ate peanuts or peanut butter every day as an afterschool snack lost weight over a six-month period and 62% of the group continued to lose or maintain weight over a two-year period.

*LOST OR MAINTAINED WEIGHT (not “maintainted”)

Download  the USDA Smart Snacks in School fact sheet.

Research shows that young women who consumed peanut butter or peanuts at least twice a week during their adolescence decreased their risk of benign breast disease later in life by up to 39%. Benign breast disease is not cancer, but it is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer.

“These findings suggest that peanut butter could help reduce the risk of breast cancer in women,” according to Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, senior author and associate director for cancer prevention and control at Sileman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Read more about this study in The Peanut Institute’s Food for Thought booklet.