Peanuts: Healthier Than Meat and Eggs

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If you are an Indian and vegetarian by birth,
chances are that your parents must have tried the
egg route to robust health. Mine did. We had a
separate pan and a separate stove, and cooked
eggs outside the kitchen, on the balcony. My
mother hoped to put some meat on our vegetarian
bones this way. Misguided? Maybe. There are very
few countries in the world where vegetarianism
thrives. India holds the record for being the
home to the largest number of vegetarians with
40 of the population espousing vegetarianism.
The trend to shun all things meat and animal is
picking up all over the world. Will this result
in protein-starved, undernourished millions
walking our planet? Happily, no!
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Peanut power to the rescue Peanuts are not nuts-
technically. They are legumes and are related to
beans, lentils, and soy. A 100 gram serving of
peanuts will give you 26 grams of protein. They
are highly nutritional and one of the best and
more affordable sources of protein. Not only are
they a good replacement for meat and eggs, they
are actually BETTER. We say protein science says
amino acids What we call protein is actually a
family of amino acids. When these molecules group
together in different combinations, we get
proteins. Protein is a macronutrient. 20
different types of amino acids can form these
protein chains. Out of these only 9 cannot be
synthesised by the human body only these 9
essential amino acids need to be eaten meat and
eggs are not the only sources. This is why
vegetarians will not disappear in a puff of smoke
or droop like weeds because of protein
deprivation. There are very good vegetarian
sources of protein and peanuts are a powerful
example.
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Meat and eggs are not nutrient-diverse Meat and
eggs contain two main macronutrients protein and
fat. They contain no vitamins, no minerals, and
no fibre. Vitamins and minerals are necessary to
digest and assimilate protein efficiently. Fibre
helps in proper digestion and to push the unused
waste out of the body. Peanuts, on the other
hand, contain copper, manganese, folate,
phosphorous, molybdenum, Vitamins E, B1, B3 and
biotin besides a sizeable dose of protein. Meat
and eggs are high in saturated fat Saturated fat
is healthy on the living animal, not when humans
eat it. It is the cause for a host of diseases
with cardiac problems leading the way. The human
body cannot break down saturated fats in a
healthful way. That is why there is so much
advice on avoiding these kinds of fat. Eggs are
high in cholesterol. Eating meat and eggs leads
to fatty deposits in the body which gradually
turn to plaque deposits in blood vessels.
Narrowed blood vessels put pressure on your heart
making its job of pumping blood difficult. This
leads to heart disease.
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Eating meat and eggs leads to fatty deposits in
the body which gradually turn to plaque deposits
in blood vessels. Narrowed blood vessels put
pressure on your heart making its job of pumping
blood difficult. This leads to heart
disease. Yes, peanuts are high in fat in fact,
they are what we call oilseeds and peanut oil
is a cooking medium in India. 44-56 of the
nutritional profile of peanuts is fat. But these
are mostly mono and polyunsaturated fats made up
of oleic and linoleic acid. These essential fatty
acids are effective in controlling diabetes and
insulin resistance. They improve blood
circulation, cure inflammation, and keep the skin
moisturised. Linoleic acid, in particular, is
nourishment for the largest organ in the human
body- the skin. Meat is acidic Diet gurus say
meat is a major acidic food which is difficult to
break down and digest. It taxes the kidneys and
upsets the bodys pH balance. This impacts the
immune system.
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Meat eaters tend to eat it fried, overly
flavoured and seasoned with masalas and curry
pastes, turning their backs on vegetables. This
increases acidity. It also does nothing to
neutralise it. Meat eaters need to be mindful of
their vegetable intakes. No one can term peanuts
acidic, and there are no great culinary skills
needed to cook or make them edible just a pinch
of salt if you eat them boiled! Meat can be
toxic Food sourced from animals carries the risk
of toxicity. Since the biological makeup of
animals is high in fat, if they eat a toxic diet
it is stored as a part of their body fat. When we
eat meat, we end up adopting these toxins into
our diets. Eating peanuts is not this risky.
Organic peanuts negate the risk of toxicity
altogether as they are grown without the use of
chemicals. So, when you adopt peanuts as your
power food, go organic!
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The goodness of peanuts when they grace your
diet Peanuts are low in carbohydrates. They are
high in protein, good fats, and fibres and have a
low glycemic index. They are, thus, slow to enter
the bloodstream on digestion and make an ideal
protein source for people with diabetes. Peanuts
are rich in antioxidants like resveratrol,
isoflavones, phytic acid, and phytosterols which
favour heart health, help guard against cancer,
and impair the absorption of cholesterol from the
digestive tract. Peanuts are high in fats of the
right kind in fact, studies have shown that
eating the right quantity of peanuts reduces the
risk of obesity. Replace empty calories snack on
peanuts instead of chips and colas. Are peanuts
healthier than meat or eggs?
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The answer will have to be yes. Peanuts are not
just protein. They are rich in many essential
nutrients. They are a balanced source of
nutrition. Organic peanuts are an improvement as
they deliver peanuts to us in their most natural
form, untouched by poisonous chemicals. Peanuts
should be stored dry to protect them from fungus.
They should be eaten or used before they get
rancid. So buy a good organic brand today.