Peanuts 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
Peanuts provide protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They may have other health benefits, including promoting fullness and helping protect against heart disease.
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are a legume that originated in South America.
They go by a variety of names, such as groundnuts, earthnuts, and goobers.
Despite their name, peanuts are unrelated to tree nuts. As a legume, they’re related to beans, lentils, and soy.
In the United States, peanuts are rarely eaten raw. Instead, they are most often consumed roasted or as peanut butter.
Other peanut products include peanut oil, flour, and protein. These goods are used in a variety of foods, such as desserts, cakes, confectionery, snacks, and sauces.
Peanuts are rich in protein, fat, and various healthy nutrients. Studies show that peanuts may even be useful for weight loss and are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.
Here are the nutrition facts for 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of raw peanuts:
- Calories: 567
- Water: 7%
- Protein: 25.8 grams
- Carbs: 16.1 grams
- Sugar: 4.7 grams
- Fiber: 8.5 grams
- Fat: 49.2 grams
- Saturated: 6.28 grams
- Monounsaturated: 24.43 grams
- Polyunsaturated: 15.56 grams
- Omega-3: 0 grams
- Omega-6: 15.56 grams
- Trans: 0 grams
SUMMARYPeanuts are packed with healthy fats and high-quality protein. They’re also fairly high in calories.
Peanuts are high in fat.
In fact, they are classified as oilseeds. A large proportion of the world’s peanut harvest is used for making peanut oil (arachis oil).
The fat content ranges from 44–56% and mainly consists of mono- and polyunsaturated fat, most of which is made up of oleic and linoleic acids (1, 2, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
SUMMARYPeanuts are high in fat, consisting mostly of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are often used to make peanut oil.
Reference: Atli Arnarson BSc, PhD