Many people enjoy eating fried peanuts, believing they are more flavorful this way; others even eat them raw, thinking this preserves their original flavor and nutritional value. In fact, these methods are not advisable.
From a nutritional standpoint, frying is not a good option. Eating them raw is also not recommended because during their growth, peanuts can be infected with aflatoxin, a recognized potent carcinogen that accumulates in the liver and can lead to liver cancer. Since aflatoxin is water-soluble, boiling can effectively filter it out. Therefore, eating boiled peanuts is the safest method, as they are also easier to digest and result in minimal loss of nutrients. Frying, on the other hand, does not destroy aflatoxin, making boiling the best choice.