Peanuts' Diet Benefits Equal to Olive Oil's
| November/December 1998
In a new study from Pennsylvania State University, diets containing about 1.5 ounces of peanut products a day were just as effective as olive oil diets in lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. During the study, 22 healthy male and female volunteers were divided into five groups, each eating different diets for 25 days. One diet group consumed a low-fat diet; three other groups ate higher-fat diets, getting their monounsaturated fat from olive oil, peanut oil or peanuts and peanut butter; and the last group followed a typical American high-saturated-fat diet. The olive oil and peanut product diets not only lowered bad cholesterol, but also maintained "good" HDL cholesterol. These changes lower the risk of heart disease. On the other hand, the low-fat diet lowered bad cholesterol levels, but also lowered good cholesterol and increased triglyceride levels--neither of which is healthy. Lead researcher Penny Kris-Etherton says in the October issue of Eating Well, "What is important about these findings is that we have other options beyond olive oil--peanuts, peanut butter and peanut oil--for increasing monounsaturated fats in the diet." Peanuts have additional health benefits, providing plant protein, phytochemicals and fiber. |
Candy
Ordering |