Could eating peanuts improve vascular health?

Researchers at the University of Barcelona have revealed the findings of study showing that eating peanuts could have a beneficial impact on vascular health in young and healthy people.

Led by Rosa M. Lamuela, Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the University of Barcelona and member of the Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety Research (INSA-UB), her study team analysed 63 participants between the ages of 18 and 33 who included a daily portion of peanut products in their regular diet for a period of six months.

“In this study group, it is more difficult to see any effect of dietary changes on health”, said Professor Lamuela.

“The results reveal a significant increase in urinary levels of phenolic metabolites in those young people who had eaten a daily dose of peanuts and peanut butter compared to the control group, which had eaten a cream without fibre or polyphenols.”

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Professor Lamuela also explained that participants who ate peanuts or peanut butter also showed improved levels of prostacyclin I2 and the ratio between thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin I2, lipid molecules (eicosanoids) which are considered markers of vascular health.

“Interestingly, some phenolic metabolites that increased significantly after the consumption of peanut products, especially hydroxycinnamic acids, also correlated with the improvement in both markers,” says researcher Isabella Parilli-Moser, First Author of the Article.

There have been other studies that have revealed that the consumption of nuts and peanuts is linked to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, particularly due to the protective effect of the polyphenols found in these foods.

To conclude, the researchers said that their study highlights one of the potential health benefits of including peanuts and peanut butter in our diet, but they think further studies are needed to “fully understand the mechanisms that explain the positive effects of peanut consumption on vascular health”.