Peanut Nutrition

Peanut nutrition

1/3 cup peanuts worth of peanut nutrition (roasted, salted):

292 cal;
13 gm protein (incomplete);
25 gm fat;
9 gm carbohydrate;
37 mg calcium;
200 mg phosphorus;
1 mg iron;
209 mg sodium;
337 mg potassium;
.16 mg B-1;
.06 mg B-2;
8.6 mg niacin;
5.5 gm saturated fatty acids;
7 gm linoleic acid;
87 mg magnesium.

Despite their name, peanuts are actually a seed that bores into the ground while growing. Thus they are harvested much like potatoes. Peanuts provide an incomplete protein that is so rich in amino acids as to be almost a complete protein they can provide proteins for growth and maintenance of the body, but not for reproduction. Like nuts, they are rich in oil, with about ten large peanuts providing the equivalent of a teaspoon of oil. The oil is relatively rich in linoleic acid, which is necessary for growth, health, and healthy skin, for proper maintenance and functioning of the glands, and for the body’s production of energy, lecithin, bile, fat digesting enzymes, and beneficial internal bacteria that produce B vitamins within the body. Peanuts also provide a good amount of phosphorus, for strong bones and teeth; of magnesium, for proper functioning of the muscular and nervous systems, utilization of fats and carbohydrates, and production of lecithin; and of potassium, for good muscle tone, proper heart action, and enzyme reactions, especially that needed to change sugar into energy. If peanuts are salted, they provide a good balance of potassium and sodium, but since the American diet is usually overloaded with sodium, unsalted may be better for most of us, especially those with problems of high blood pressure or water retention. The inner peel of peanuts is especially rich in B-1, an aid to growth, digestion, and the normal functioning of the nerves, muscles, and heart.