Derived from peanuts, peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil, is often used for cooking to add flavor to food. It is a rich source of monounsaturated fat, a healthy fat that has been associated with reducing the risk for heart disease as well as blood pressure, and also contains antioxidants. Evidence suggests that peanut oil in moderation can help enhance overall health.
Reduces Blood Pressure
Peanut oil's high concentration of monounsaturated fats might have beneficial effects on blood pressure, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Scientists compared the effects of three healthy diets on blood pressure in patients with elevated blood pressure. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: a diet rich in carbs, a diet rich in protein or a diet rich in monounsaturated fat. At the end of the six-week study, which was published in the November 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," scientists observed that both the monounsaturated and protein groups experienced reductions in blood pressure.
Lowers Glucose Levels
Researchers from Annamalai University in India studied the effects of peanut oil on diabetic rats. For 42 days, subjects followed an oil-free diet containing peanut oil supplementation and had their glucose levels measured before and after treatment. At the end of the study, scientists observed that subjects experienced a significant reduction in glucose levels. Although these results are promising, human trials need to be conducted, according to research reported in the March 2006 issue of the "Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine."
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are chemicals that help destroy free radicals, which cause inflammation that has been linked to heart disease, certain cancers and stroke. Lead researcher Steve Talcott and colleagues from the University of Florida studied the antioxidant content of different peanuts. They discovered that peanuts contain potent antioxidants called polyphenols, which are also in tea and red wine, according to the Science Daily website.
References
- PubMed: Effects of Protein, Monounsaturated Fat and Carbohydrate Intake on Blood Pressure and Serum Lipids: Results of the OmniHeart Randomized Trial
- PubMed Central; "Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine"; Effect of Dietary Substitution of Groundnut Oil; B. Ramesh, R. Saravanan and K.V. Pugalendi; March 2006
- Science Daily: Peanuts Rival Fruit as Source of Health-Promoting Antioxidants, Researchers Say
Member Comments