Not everyone is suitable for eating peanuts. For certain groups of people, eating peanuts may pose a life-threatening risk. Therefore, some people need to be aware that they are not suitable for eating peanuts. So, which groups of people should not eat peanuts?
1. Gout patients: Gout is a disease caused by purine metabolism disorders, and all patients have hyperuricemia. Since a high-fat diet reduces uric acid excretion and worsens the condition, peanuts should be avoided during an acute gout attack, and only a moderate amount can be consumed during the remission period.
2. Individuals who have had their gallbladder removed: Bile is important for the digestion and absorption of fat. After a meal, the gallbladder contracts, releasing bile into the duodenum to aid digestion and absorption. High-protein and high-fat foods strongly stimulate the gallbladder, causing a large amount of bile to be released. After the gallbladder is removed, bile cannot be stored, which will inevitably affect the digestion of fat in peanuts and other oil crops.
3. Patients with gastric ulcers, chronic gastritis, or chronic enteritis: These patients often have symptoms such as chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, or indigestion. Their diet should be light, low in oil, and consist of small, frequent meals. Peanuts are a type of nut with excessively high protein and fat content, which are difficult to digest and absorb. Such patients should avoid them.
4. People who want to lose weight: Peanuts are very high in calories and fat. Eating two ounces of roasted peanuts (about 581 kcal) is equivalent to eating five and a half ounces of steamed buns. Therefore, people trying to lose weight should stay away from peanuts.
5. Diabetics: Diabetics need to control their total daily energy intake, so the daily cooking oil should not exceed three tablespoons (30g). However, 18 peanuts are equivalent to one tablespoon of oil (10g) and can produce 90 kcal of energy.
6. Patients with hyperlipoproteinemia: An unreasonable diet structure is an important cause of hyperlipoproteinemia. Therefore, the principle of dietary therapy is to limit calories and reduce the intake of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. Peanuts are high in fat and calories, and eating more can only worsen the condition, leading to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, which can be life-threatening.
7. People with bruises and swelling from falls or injuries: Peanuts contain a pro-coagulant factor. For people with bruises and stagnant blood, eating peanuts may prevent the blood stasis from dissipating, worsening the swelling and pain symptoms.
After the above introduction, everyone knows that peanuts are crispy, delicious, nutritious, and cheap, making them a snack loved by all. However, if you belong to one of the six groups mentioned above, peanuts are harmful to you with no benefits. Therefore, you must be mindful and not eat peanuts indiscriminately for the sake of your health.
How to choose peanuts: It's better to eat small, dark-colored varieties. Darker-colored varieties are usually richer in antioxidant polyphenols, and their protein and trace element content will be slightly higher than lighter-colored varieties. For example, black sesame seeds are more nutritious than white sesame seeds, and black rice is more nutritious than white rice. Therefore, compared to peanuts with light-colored skins, dark-skinned peanuts have higher protein content and lower fat content. Moreover, for peanut kernels, small peanuts have higher protein content than large ones. Therefore, we might as well break our inherent preference for white and large varieties and favor those that are dark and small.
Be aware of two major precautions when eating peanuts
1. Boiling is better for filtering carcinogens
Now is the peak season for peanuts, and there are many ways to eat them. The common methods are "raw, fried, stir-fried, and boiled." From a nutritional perspective, frying is not advisable; eating them raw is also not advisable because peanuts can be infected with aflatoxin during their growth process. Aflatoxin is a recognized strongest carcinogen that accumulates in the liver and can induce liver cancer. Because aflatoxin is water-soluble, boiling can basically filter it out. Therefore, eating boiled peanuts is safer, easier to digest, and results in the least loss of nutrients. Stir-frying cannot destroy aflatoxin, so boiling is the best method.
2. Be cautious when eating the "red skin of peanuts"
There is another issue when eating peanuts, concerning the "red skin of peanuts." It is generally believed that the components in the red skin are very beneficial to the human body. This is true for most people. Specifically, "the red skin is rich in glycerides and sterol esters, which can inhibit fibrinolysis, promote bone marrow to produce platelets to shorten bleeding time, and improve platelet quality, enhance capillary absorption, and regulate coagulation factor defects." In other words, the "red skin of peanuts" has the effect of nourishing the blood and promoting blood clotting, which is very beneficial for anemic people and wound healing. On the other hand, for people with high blood viscosity, it is not beneficial and may increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, people with high blood viscosity should not eat the "red skin of peanuts." When eating boiled peanuts, it is best to peel off the skin. Anemic patients with high blood viscosity should adopt other blood-nourishing measures, such as eating blood tofu. The elderly should also avoid eating the "red skin of peanuts" to prevent increased blood viscosity. Note: Blood viscosity can be detected through blood donation, physical examinations, or hospital tests.