Is a peanut actually a nut? Here comes the latest explanation
Peanut, also known as groundnut, longevity fruit, mud bean, foreign bean, earth bean, etc., is an annual herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family in the order Rosales, with upright or creeping stems, mainly distributed in Brazil, China, Egypt and other places, and can be used as a raw material for soap-making and hair oil and other cosmetics. According to the size of the peanut seeds, it is divided into two major types, large peanuts and small peanuts. Now let us take a look at whether peanuts are nuts!
Are peanuts nuts?
Peanuts are nuts. Peanut is a nut with abundant production and widespread consumption in China. Its fruit contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin K, as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron. It contains 8 kinds of amino acids needed by the human body and unsaturated fatty acids, and contains substances such as lecithin, choline, carotene and crude fiber. Its fat content is 44-45%, protein content is 24-36%, and sugar content is about 20%. It is rich in vitamin B2, PP, A, D, E, calcium and iron, etc., and contains various vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin and nicotinic acid. It helps promote the development of human brain cells and enhance memory.
The dietary therapeutic value of peanuts
1. Lowering cholesterol: The linoleic acid contained in peanut oil can cause cholesterol in the human body to be decomposed into bile acids and excreted from the body, avoiding cholesterol deposition in the body and reducing the incidence of various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases caused by cholesterol exceeding normal values in the human body.
2. Delaying human aging: The zinc content in peanut fruit is generally higher than that in other oil crops. Zinc can promote brain development in children, has the function of enhancing brain memory, can activate brain cells in middle-aged and elderly people, delay premature aging of the human body, and resist aging.
3. Promoting bone development in children: Peanut fruit is rich in calcium, promotes bone development in children, and prevents degenerative bone lesions in the elderly.
4. Preventing tumors: Resveratrol in peanut fruit and peanut oil. It is a natural chemical preventive agent for tumor diseases, can reduce platelet aggregation, and prevent and treat atherosclerosis and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
The medicinal value of peanuts
1. Anti-aging properties: The catechin and lysine contained in peanut fruit have an anti-aging effect on the human body.
2. Coagulation and hemostasis: The peanut skin contains oil, various vitamins, and substances that shorten clotting time, can resist the dissolution of fibrin, has the function of promoting bone marrow to produce platelets, has a hemostatic effect on various hemorrhagic diseases, has a certain therapeutic effect on the primary disease, and is beneficial to the human body's hematopoietic function.
3. Nourishing blood and promoting lactation: The fatty oil and protein in peanut fruit have the effects of nourishing qi and blood and enriching blood and promoting lactation for women with insufficient milk after childbirth.
4. Promoting development: The calcium content in peanut fruit is extremely high. Calcium is the main component of human bones, so eating more peanuts can promote human growth and development.
5. Enhancing memory: The lecithin and cephalin in peanut fruit are important substances needed by the nervous system, can delay the decline of brain function, inhibit platelet aggregation, and prevent the formation of cerebral thrombosis. Experiments have confirmed that regularly eating peanuts can improve blood circulation, enhance memory, and delay aging.