They’re an excellent plant-based source of protein and high in various vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. They can be useful as a part of a weight loss diet and may reduce your risk of both heart disease and gallstones.

Some of the science-based health benefits of groundnut are an improvement of the heart and brain health, body tissue repairs, reducing the risk of cancer, improves skin health and more as discussed below:

1. Lower the Risk of Cancer

Groundnut is one of the food crops that have antioxidants in the form of polyphenol and resveratrol, which helps to protect the body from diseases such as cancer, heart-related disease, etc., as it boosts the body’s immune system by removing chemicals in the body that can cause or worsen such health conditions. Peanut as a good source of omega-3 fatty acid, vitamin E, fiber and other essential nutrients helps to lower the risk of contracting certain types of cancers.

According to Medical News Today; studies conducted by Prof. Piet van den Brandt show that consumption of 15 grams of groundnuts every day can reduce the risk of a blood clot and other numbers of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and respiratory disease.

2. Improves Skin Health

The vitamins contained in the groundnut serve an anti-aging property as it gives the skin a new and better look by protecting it from skin conditions such as dryness, wrinkles, and scaling. There are other important nutrients in peanuts such as phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and monounsaturated fats that help to keep the skin porous and glowing all the time by flushing out excess oil and toxins from the skin.

The presence of antioxidants in peanuts such as vitamin C and E helps to reduce some anti-aging effects which include dark spots, wrinkles, pimples, etc. Generally, on skin health, moderate consumption of ground helps to keep the skin ever young and smooth due to the presence of anti-aging phytochemical called resveratrol as well as vitamin C which helps to rebuild the collagen.

3. Oxidative Stress Protection

Peanuts have quality content of important compounds that are antioxidants rich and helps to protect the body from an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the human body which is prone to negative effects. These antioxidants help to prevent the occurrence of certain diseases in the body and certainly stop the activities of oxidation of other molecules in the body.

4. Build Strong Bones

Therefore, the presence of certain minerals in groundnut such as potassium, zinc, calcium, sodium as well as magnesium and phosphorus which altogether helps the body to stay healthy and in building strong bones. On the other hand, these minerals protect the body from some of the mineral deficiencies which can cause some complications to human health when left untreated.

5. Good for Pregnant Women

You may also have or haven’t heard that the groundnut is a good food choice for pregnant women. How right? Okay, peanut contains protein and folate; folic acid is an essential supplement required for every pregnant woman to avoid birth defects and to contribute to the proper development of the brain and spine. No matter the type of diet a pregnant woman stick to, she must be required to consume a good quantity of folic acid through the conception period. Fried peanut, roasted or cooked can be eaten by pregnant women.

Groundnuts have a lot of health benefits both in its whole forms and when been processed into other products, it primarily contains nutrients (minerals and vitamins) such as thiamin, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin E, copper, phosphorus, biotin, magnesium, manganese, folate, etc.Groundnuts can be eaten whole when boiled or it can as well be fried or roasted to serves various purposes, this (whether boiled or fried) is one of the snack delicacies mostly enjoyed in the country especially when salted well to taste better and in some cases can be used a lunch.

It is also used in the production of vegetable oil commonly called groundnut oil and is one of the common vegetable oils used in Nigeria in both cooking and for other purposes. During the processing of groundnuts into oil, the groundnut cake can be used as feed for livestock and poultry or as well used in the production of the locally made Nigerian snack known as Kuli Kuli which is most common in the North.