About Us

Home / Peanut Health / Longevity

Longevity

Living a Longer Life with Peanuts

 We know peanuts and peanut butter have a long shelf life, but can they help us live a longer life? It looks like the answer is yes!

How Peanuts Can Help You Live Longer

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that you can lower your risk of dying prematurely from multiple causes, including cardiovascular disease (one of the leading causes of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization). All it takes is eating a healthy plant-based diet with plenty of nuts, legumes, fruits and vegetables.1

Longevity

The Studies Are Stacking Up

This isn’t the first time the benefits of peanuts have been corroborated, though. In 2018, a review of 18 prospective studies on nut consumption found similar associations with a reduced risk of death from all causes, the strongest reduction being in risk of coronary heart disease mortality.2Researchers also noted that these benefits can be achieved at even a relatively low rate of consumption—so even if you just have time for one quick handful a day, you’ll still be helping your body!

What Makes Peanuts So Powerful?

One of the reasons it only takes a small amount is that there’s a lot of nutrition packed into every peanut kernel. So, let’s unpack it and take a closer look at just some of the ways they help our bodies feel their best:

  • Peanuts have the most protein of any nut
  • High levels of arginine help improve your blood flow·
  • Peanuts contain over 75 percent heart-healthy unsaturated fat
  • They are a good source of fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium, and also contain folate, potassium, and zinc
  • They are filled with bioactive components like antioxidants, flavonoids and resveratrol, which deliver huge health benefits

Real Nutrition for Disease Prevention

A separate 2019 study by the National Institute of Health took a wider view of the power of nuts—this time examining their impact on risk of disease as well as mortality for adults aged 50-71. Researchers found overall nut consumption lowered mortality risk by 22%, and also lowered risk of dying from cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory, infectious, renal and liver disease.3 These results were similar to what researchers found in 2015, where peanut consumption lowered risk of dying prematurely by 21%.4

Like Peanut Butter Better?

If you’re a peanut butter fan, there’s plenty to be excited about. A 2015 study on the health effects of nuts (including peanut butter) found that, along with reduced mortality risk, participants who consumed 10g/day had a 44% reduced risk of dying from a neurodegenerative disease compared to those who had none.5

Sources
  1. Kim H, Caulfield LE, Garcia-Larsen V, Steffen LM, Coresh J, Rebholz CM. Plant-Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle-Aged Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019 Aug 20;8(16):e012865. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.012865. Epub 2019 Aug 7. PubMed PMID: 31387433.
  2. Chen GC, Zhang R, Martínez-González MA, Zhang ZL, Bonaccio M, van Dam RM, Qin LQ. Nut consumption in relation to all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a meta-analysis 18 prospective studies. Food Funct. 2017 Nov 15;8(11):3893-3905. doi: 10.1039/c7fo00915a. Review. PubMed PMID: 28875220.
  3. Amba V, Murphy G, Etemadi A, Wang S, Abnet CC, Hashemian M. Nut and Peanut Butter Consumption and Mortality in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Nutrients. 2019 Jul 2;11(7). doi: 10.3390/nu11071508. PubMed PMID: 31269682; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6682967.
  4. Luu HN, Blot WJ, Xiang YB, Cai H, Hargreaves MK, Li H, Yang G, Signorello L, Gao YT, Zheng W, Shu XO. Prospective evaluation of the association of nut/peanut consumption with total and cause-specific mortality. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 May;175(5):755-66. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8347. PubMed PMID: 25730101; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4474488.
  5. van den Brandt PA, Schouten LJ. Relationship of tree nut, peanut and peanut butter intake with total and cause-specific mortality: a cohort study and meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol. 2015 Jun;44(3):1038-49. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyv039. Epub 2015 Jun 11. PubMed PMID: 26066329.