The origin, cultivation, nutrients, phytochemical compositions, and clinical studies of peanut consumption

1. FOOD AS MEDICINE:
PEANUTS
ARACHIS HYPOGAEA
By
Kevin KF Ng, MD, PhD.
Former Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Clinical Pharmacology
University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
Email: kevinng68@gmail.com
A Slide Presentation for HealthCare Providers Mar 2022

2. Presentation outline
▪ What is a peanut?
▪ History of peanut.
▪ Global production.
▪ Scientific classification.
▪ Nutrient composition.
▪ Bioactive compounds.
▪ Clinical studies.
▪ Safety issues.
▪ Summary.

3. What is a peanut?
▪ Botanically, peanuts are classified as legumes;
▪ For culinary, research and nutritional purposes,
peanuts are considered a nut.

4. • ORIGIN OF PEANUTS
• WORLD PRODUCTION
• UNITED STATES PRODUCTION

5. Where Do Peanuts Come From?
▪ According to most authorities, peanuts originally came from South America.
▪ They are said to have started in the lower lying hills of Bolivia and then later in Peru
and Brazil.
https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/where-peanuts-come-from/

6. World production of peanut (2021)
https://www.reddit.com/r/Maps/comments/qt36v2/countries_with_the_highest_peanut_production/

7. Top Ten Peanut Production States in the United States (2016)
https://ubique.americangeo.org/category/map-of-the-week/

8. Total U.S. Peanut Consumption by Category (2019)
https://peanut-institute.com/peanut-facts/

9. • CLASSIFICATION OF PEANUTS
• SCIENTIFIC STUDIES

10. Scientific classification of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut

11. Four main types of peanuts are produced in the United States
https://www.peanutsusa.com/about-peanuts/the-peanut-industry3/9-peanut-types-and -
production.html#:~:text=U.S.%20peanuts%20fall%20into%20four,to%20the%20types%20described%20below.

12. Number of articles on “peanuts” in PubMed from
1912 to 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=peanuts

13. • ANATOMY
• NUTRIENTS

14. Stages of growth from peanut seed to a peanut plant
https://www.nachurs.com/start2finish-peanuts

15. Growth of underground Peanuts
http://www.soilcropandmore.info/crops/Peanut/DevelopingPods-Dscf3610.jpg

16. Anatomy of a Peanut Seed
https://jb004.k12.sd.us/my%20website%20info/BIOLOGY%201/PLANT%20KINGDOM%20LINKS/PEANUT%20SEED.htm

17. Morphology and appearance of 10 peanut cultivars (2017)
February 2017International Journal of Food Properties 20(6)

18. Nutrient composition of peanuts
Peel
Pulp
(35%) of ripe fruit

19. Nutrients of 100g of raw peanuts
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172430/nutrients

20. Amino Acids and Fatty Acids of 100g of raw peanuts
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172430/nutrients

21. • BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS
• PHARMACOLOGY

22. Bioactive compounds in peanuts
https://peanut-institute.com/nutrition-research/peanut-nutrients/bioactive-compounds/

23. Chromatograms of soaked (A) and germinated (B) peanut extracts.
Numbers indicate peaks of compounds found in extracts (2019)
▪ 36 compounds were identified:
▪ three flavanols,
▪ four flavanones,
▪ three flavones,
▪ eleven flavonols,
▪ one isoflavonoid,
▪ one anthocyanin,
▪ four coumarins, and
▪ nine others.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406428/

24. Pharmacological actions of peanut in
preclinical studies (2014)
▪ Antimicrobial and Antiparasitic Effects
▪ Antioxidant and
▪ Anti-inflammatory Effects
▪ Immunomodulating Effects
▪ Anticancer Effects
▪ Hypolipidemic Effects
▪ Hypotensive Effects
▪ Haemostatic Effects
▪ Opioid Receptor Affinity
▪ Sympathomimetic Effects
▪ Endocrine Effects
▪ Sedative Effect
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313676701_Chemical_Constit
uents_and_Pharmacological_Activities_of_Arachis_hypogaea_-_A_Review

25. Main functions of bioactive compounds in peanuts (2019)
• Arginine, an amino acid with high levels in peanuts, is a precursor to nitric
oxide, which helps expand blood vessels and decrease blood pressure.
• Resveratrol, also found in grapes and wine, improves longevity and
performance and reduces inflammation.
• Phytosterols are well known for their ability to reduce cholesterol levels
and research shows they have cancer-preventing qualities.
• Phenolic acids are found in plants and act as a defense mechanism for
environmental stress and pest attacks. Evidence suggests that they may also
defend our bodies to keep us healthy.
• Flavonoids are a class of compounds found in peanuts that
reduce inflamation and inhibit platelets from sticking to arteries.
https://peanut-institute.com/nutrition-research/peanut-nutrients/bioactive-compounds/

26. CLINICAL STUDIES

27. Meta-analysis of nut consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes (2014)
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Meta-analysis-of-nut-consumption-
with-risk-of-type-2-diabetes-for-1-serving-d_fig5_262149754

28. Meta-analysis of nut consumption and risk of hypertension (2014)
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Meta-analysis-of-nut-consumption-
with-risk-of-coronary-heart-disease-for-1-serving-d_fig4_262149754

29. Meta-analysis of nut consumption and risk of stroke (2014)
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Meta-analysis-of-nut-consumption-
with-risk-of-stroke-for-1-serving-d-increment-Size-of_fig3_262149754

30. Meta-analysis of nut consumption and risk of
coronary heart disease (for 1-serving/d increment). 2014
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · May 2014

31. Nut consumption and risk of metabolic syndrome and overweight/obesity:
a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomized trials (2018)
https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12986-018-0282-y

32. Nut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, all-
cause and cause-specific mortality:
a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies (2016)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27916000/

33. Changes in Nut Consumption and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease
Risk Among US Men and Women:
3 Large Prospective Cohort Studies (2020)
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.013877

34. Summary of Meta-analysis of effect of nuts on
risk and mortality of diseases from publications (2014 – 2020)
©DRKEVINKFNG

35. Possible mechanisms for beneficial effects of nut consumption (2014)
▪ The possible mechanisms include:
▪ improving the blood lipid profile
▪ decreasing insulin resistance
▪ modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial function.
▪ In a cohort of participants at high risk of CAD, nut consumption was inversely
associated with:
▪ vascular cell adhesionmolecule-1
▪ intracellular adhesion molecule-1
▪ C-reactive protein
▪ IL-6 serum concentrations
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262149754_Nut_consumption_in_relation_to_cardiovascular
_disease_risk_and_type_2_diabetes_A_systematic_review_and_meta-analysis_of_prospective_studies

36. SAFETY ISSUES
• ALLERGIES
• AFLATOXIN TOXICITY

37. Peanut allergens identified to date. (2014)
•August 2014 Allergo Journal International 23:158-63

38. Peanut allergy (2019)
▪ Peanut allergies affect an estimated 1.2% of the overall US population and about
2.5% of the pediatric population.
▪ They are the most common food allergy in children, affecting about 25% of those
with a food allergy, and are a leading cause of allergy-related death in children
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/10/03/the-prevalence-of-peanut-allergy-has-trebled-in-15-years

39. Aflatoxins
▪ Aflatoxins are various poisonous carcinogens and mutagens that are produced by
certain molds, particularly Aspergillus species
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/aflatoxin
https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/aflatoxins/3008223.article

40. Aflatoxin Toxicity (2021)
▪ Aflatoxins are metabolites produced by toxigenic strains
of molds, mainly Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus
which grow in soil, hay, decaying vegetation, and grains.
▪ Aflatoxin is produced by fungal action during
production, harvest, storage, and processing of food.
▪ Aflatoxin toxicity may result in nausea, vomiting,
abdominal pain, convulsions, and other signs of acute
liver injury.
▪ Long-term exposure also leads to various complications
like growth retardation, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular
carcinoma
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557781/

41. • MULTIPLE USES OF PEANUTS
• CULINARY CUISINES

42. Multiple use of peanuts
▪ Boiled peanut
▪ Roasted peanut
▪ Peanut soups
▪ Peanut deserts
▪ Oil production
▪ Peanut butter
▪ Snack products
▪ Culinary cuisine

43. Examples of some peanut cuisines

44. Thank you for your Donation
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▪ This presentation attempts to continue the online series on Food as Medicine.
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at kevinng68@gmail.com

45. Summary
▪ Originating in South America, peanut has spread to many parts of
the world.
▪ It is low in calories, but high in protein and unsaturated fatty acids.
▪ Its bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids,
resveratrol and sterols have been shown to be beneficial for health.
▪ Clinical studies have shown that peanut consumption reduced the
risks for hypertension, coronary heart disease and cancer.
▪ However, studies on the peanut consumption and the risks of
diabetes and stroke are mixed.. More research is needed.

46. ANY QUESTION?
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