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Peanuts for Weight Loss

Can a staple of childhood lunchboxes, baseball games and airplane rides really help you lose weight? Peanut lovers rejoice--peanuts (and peanut butter) prove to be a powerful aid in the war on extra pounds. Peanuts spark the release of a chemical in the brain that increases sensations of fullness, quelling hunger pangs. Furthermore, consumption of the particular kind of fats found in peanuts reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

  1. Add Peanuts to Lose Weight

    • Adding up to 500 calories a day in peanuts can help boost your weight loss efforts. A study at Purdue University conducted in 2003 showed that people who added 500 extra calories of peanuts a day to their regular caloric intake, gained no weight, despite the extra calories and fat consumed--over the course of 8 weeks.

      Researchers theorize that the added peanuts actually gave people a greater feeling of satiety, so they simply ate less. Other theories are that peanuts stimulate a slight increase in metabolism, thus burning more calories and leading to an energy deficit. You might also absorb peanuts less efficiently than other foods, so they simply do not get digested fully, and some of the calories pass right out. Other studies, conducted by Harvard University and Women's Hospital in Boston, further confirm these positive effects of peanuts on weight loss efforts.

    Protein Boost

    • Adding a daily dose of peanuts, which are actually a legume, provides you with extra protein. Peanuts and peanut butter provide fullness satisfaction up to five times greater than carbohydrate snacks like rice cakes. Protein plays a role in this ability to satisfy, as it takes the body longer to digest the macronutrient. Because of their protein content, peanuts also make an excellent pre- or post-workout snack.

    Health Benefits

    • Peanuts can help lower your triglyceride levels by as much as 24 percent, according to the researchers at Purdue University. High triglyceride levels are a risk factor for heart disease. Peanuts possess a number of other beneficial nutrients including B6, magnesium and folate, vitamin E, copper, arginine and fiber. A plant protein, peanuts are appropriate for vegetarians. And even if you are a meat eater, replacing some of your consumption of animal proteins with peanuts can be helpful in lowering overall cholesterol levels.

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