Here's an easy trick for cranking up the disease-fighting power of your peanuts: Roast them.
Peanuts already pack a solid protein, fiber, and fatty-acid punch. But a study suggests that dark roasting your peanuts will release more disease-fighting phenolic compounds from the nuts' cellular structures.
Fire Up Those Antioxidants
Phenolic compounds are antioxidants that have a reputation for quelling inflammatory processes that can open the door to diseases like cancer and heart disease. Peanuts are already packed with a wide variety of antioxidants. And with the exception of vitamin E, the capacity of peanut antioxidants increased dramatically in a study when the nuts were roasted at about 330 degrees Fahrenheit for 21 minutes.
Keep the Skins
Roasting amped up the antioxidants in the peanut skins even more than in the peanut flesh, so shop for ones with the skins on. Some debate continues regarding the health benefits of raw versus roasted nuts, but in any form, they're still packed with good-for-you nutrition. Just limit yourself to a handful or two a day, because they're also high in calories. Not a peanut lover? Check out what these nuts can do for your health:
- Walnuts: Eat 'em to help keep your arteries flexible.
- Almonds: Eat 'em to improve your cholesterol profile. (Find out how they make "bad" cholesterol less bad.)
- Cashews: Eat 'em to help your eyes stay sharp. (Find out how little you need each week to fend off age-related macular degeneration.)
How long do you chew that mouthful of nuts? Here's the magic number for quelling hunger.
