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Eating peanuts could boost your health in several ways. For example, studies have found that munching on peanuts can lower your cholesterol.
Peanuts also contain a form of vitamin E known as alpha-tocopherol that research has shown can protect the brain, boost the immune system and help prevent clots in heart arteries.
Now, a recent study suggests that your memory and blood pressure can benefit when you eat the popular snack.
Consuming unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts can significantly improve memory and brain blood flow, according to researchers at the Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM) at Maastricht University Medical Center the Netherlands.
A clinical trial involving 31 healthy adults ranging in age from 60 to 75 found that those who consumed 60 grams of peanuts (just under 1/2 cup) daily for 16 weeks saw a 5.8% improvement in verbal memory and 3.6% boost in cerebral blood flow (CBF).
Cerebral blood flow refers to the amount of blood that flows through the brain while delivering oxygen and nutrients. The researchers say they found evidence of “improved global CBF.”
They also found that eating peanuts boosts blood flow to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, regions associated with memory and other cognitive functions.
In the study, the researchers used brain imaging techniques such as arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging — an MRI technique that measures tissue blood flow — to observe the effects of daily peanut consumption on brain health. They also used a test to gauge cognitive performance.
The researchers also discovered two other benefits of eating skin-roasted peanuts. Systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) fell by 5 mm Hg. Also, pulse pressure — the difference between systolic and diastolic (the bottom number in a blood pressure reading) — dropped by 4 mm Hg.
In a summary of the study’s findings, Peter Joris — the study’s author and an associate professor in NUTRIM’s Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences — says:
“Peanuts are especially rich in plant-based protein and contain high concentrations of L-arginine, an amino acid important for vascular health. They are also a valuable source of unsaturated fats and polyphenols, both known to support vascular function.”
Participants in the study were allowed to eat their full allotment of nuts at once or over the course of the day.
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Joris added that skin-roasted peanuts were chosen for the study because the skin contains additional dietary fiber and natural plant compounds such as antioxidants.
The study findings were published in a scientific journal of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.
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