Feature:
Crack the nuts: looking at the nutritional value of peanuts
By Charina A. Javier
While caught up in traffic on a bus, a man steps
up with a pail at hand. He opens the pail and the aroma of the food he sells
diffuses as he passes asking each passenger "Mani, mani kayo dyan?"
In the streets, stalls tempt each passerby to peep and whiff the chili, adobo
and garlic flavors of roasted peanuts. Inside the buildings, people burning
their eyebrows and pouring ideas in a meeting have a bowl of nuts at the center
of their tables for everyone to pick and nibble. Have you experienced these
situations?
Talking about peanuts brings to mind a bunch of
different scenes but one thing is common, that people get cracked with the
crunch of peanuts without even noticing it.
Going nuts with peanuts? Take a quick look at the
nutritional value of peanuts while munching that favorite snack.
Substitute for meat
For those looking for excellent and cheap
alternatives to meats, peanut is one of them. Like other legumes and dried beans,
peanuts contain protein of lower biological value than meats but when eaten
with cereals, the total protein value approaches that of meat and thus, costs
less. Message Number 4 of the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos developed by
the Technical Working Group led by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute,
Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) says that to improve the
Filipino diet, not only should the total quantity of food be increased but also
the quality by including animal products or substitutes. About one cup raw
peanuts may be substituted for a serving of meat or fish. For vegetarians,
dried beans, legumes and nuts are the primary protein source of their diet.
B-vitamins to boost energy
Dried beans and legumes such as peanuts are rich
in B-vitamins namely thiamin, riboflavin and niacin which help release energy
from nutrients. Thiamin supports normal appetite and nerve function. Riboflavin
supports skin health, cracks and redness at the corners of mouth, inflammation
of the tongue and dermatitis. Niacin also supports the skin, nervous and
digestive systems.
Cholesterol-lowering property
Peanut is rich in dietary fiber, a food component
that has been associated with the prevention of several chronic diseases such
as cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, and control of diabetes. In a study
done by the FNRI-DOST, among the legumes consumed, peanut showed a marked
decrease in the total cholesterol levels of the subjects. Dietary fiber lowers
the blood cholesterol levels by binding the bile acids in the intestines. It is
then excreted from the body via the feces, preventing the reabsorption of bile
acids in the liver to become cholesterol again, thus lowers cholesterol levels.
Likewise, peanut's fat content contributes to more
energy and thus, is one of the foods added in supplementary foods for children
to give a high-calorie, high-protein dish like banana-peanut mix and in
disaster foods such as the food bar.
More than the taste and satisfying feeling of
munching peanuts, this food gives everyone a great value for nutrition. Already
craving for peanuts?
For more information on food and nutrition,
contact: Dr. Mario V. Capanzana,
Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and
Technology, General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City; Tel/Fax Num: 8372934 and 8373164; email:
mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph, mar_v_c@yahoo.com; FNRI-DOST website:
http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph.; FNRI Facebook page: facebook.com/FNRI-DOST; FNRI
Twitter account: twitter.com/FNRI-DOST. (FNRI-DOST S&T Media
Service/PIA-Caraga)
