Peanuts – nutritional profile, cultivation techniques, and health implications: an examination of dietary value and potential consumption benefits
Felix Weber
2026-03-18
4 min. read
30
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Annual global peanut production reaches millions of metric tons, with the legume available in diverse forms—ranging from whole kernels to confectionery products, peanut butter, oil, and high-protein food formulations. Due to their cost-efficient protein-to-price ratio, they represent a highly sought-after ingredient for food manufacturers, who continually expand their applications. But does their regular consumption yield measurable health benefits? Are there evidence-based reasons to incorporate them into daily dietary patterns?
Peanuts and nuts
Nuts, despite their name, are not nuts at all. They are a species belonging to the legume family. They come from South America from Brazil and Peru, but are often grown in tropical and subtropical countries. Nuts are a good source of protein, fat and fiber. They contain mainly mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Peanuts properties
Nuts are a source of mineral ingredients. They are rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc [2]. The mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids found in nuts lower LDL cholesterol levels and reduce the concentration of lipids in blood serum. The nuts are high in: vitamin E, folic acid, dietary fiber, phenolic compounds, and resveratrol [1].
How do peanuts grow?
As we already know, peanuts are not considered nuts because they belong to the family of botanical plants, namely, nuts. This is due, among other things, to the way they are grown. The pistachios grow and mature underground, hence the name of the nuts, because when the flower stalk blooms, it stretches and then goes downward, pushing the stems into the ground. The nuts mature to a depth of about 5 to 8 cm. When they mature, they don't break up into pieces or fall apart.
Are peanuts healthy?
However, in addition to a number of mineral ingredients (e.g. starch oil), starch also contains fiber, phenolic compounds, or vitamins. It has been shown that eating starches can help control body weight and also prevent Alzheimer's disease and heart disease, and inhibits the growth of cancer cells.[1] However, eating both starch and starch-based products (i.e. potato oil) in a nutritious diet can also have a significant effect on the body's lipid metabolism. Studies of starch products have shown that dietary allergies to fat or fat-soluble products can also increase the fat content of fat in a single diet or dietary product after eating HD foods, reduce the fat burden of the body over the entire diet.