FDA Affirms Health Claim That a Handful of Peanuts Daily May Help Keep

ALBANY, Ga., July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The US Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) has affirmed a qualified health claim that peanuts 
and some other nuts may reduce the risk of heart disease when consumed 
regularly. This action, according to the Peanut Institute, is based on 
a large body of epidemiological and clinical studies showing a 25-50 
percent reduction in the risk of heart disease when 1 to 2 ounces of 
peanuts or nuts are consumed five or more times a week.
Some labels will soon carry the government-approved message, 
"Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces 
of most nuts, such as peanuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat 
and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. See nutrition 
information for fat content."

One of the strongest studies presented to FDA was a six-month 
controlled study done at Pennsylvania State University. Subjects 
following the "peanut diet" lowered total cholesterol by 11 percent and 
the bad LDL cholesterol by 14 percent. Triglycerides were also lowered 
but the good HDL cholesterol was maintained.

The principal investigator, Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, says, "the 
overall results of our study show that diets that include peanuts and 
peanut butter daily reduce the risk of heart disease by 21 percent as 
compared to the average American diet, whereas a low-fat diet reduces 
the risk by only 12 percent compared to the average American diet."

Large population studies, such as the Adventists Health Study, the 
Iowa Women's Health Study and the Physicians Heath Study, all show a 
linear relationship between cardioprotective benefits and peanut and 
nut consumption. Data from Harvard School of Public Health's Nurses' 
Health Study has shown that substituting peanuts and nuts for saturated 
fat or refined carbohydrates can reduce risk of heart disease by 45 and 
30 percent, respectively.

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Peanuts are Also Good for the Heart
From Richard N. Fogoros, M.D.,
Your Guide to Heart Disease.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
Dateline: August 12, 2003

It has been established for some time now that adding nuts to the diet 
can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. But data on peanuts - 
the most popular "nut" - has been lacking. Since peanuts are actually 
legumes and not nuts, some (DrRich, for instance) have worried that 
their nearly compulsive consumption of peanuts may be adding only 
calories, without providing benefit of the much-touted "nut effect" on 
cardiac health.

Thankfully, researchers from Purdue University have now demonstrated 
that chronic peanut consumption has a beneficial effect on markers of 
cardiac health. They studied 15 healthy men and women for 30 weeks, in 
a complex study assessing the effect of peanut consumption under 3 
different dietary conditions. Their conclusions were that peanut 
consumption reduces serum triglyceride levels by up to 24%, even in 
situations where peanuts were added to the regular diets, and thus 
ought to reduce cardiovascular risk by up to 6 - 8%. Furthermore, 
peanuts added significant magnesium, folate, fiber, copper and arginine 
to the dietary intake.

The researchers also noted no increase in body weight during the 30-
week trial. They speculated that peanuts may create a sense of satiety 
(fullness,) thus reducing their subjects' overall caloric consumption.

The FDA now allows peanuts - along with walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, 
pecans, and pistachios - to be advertised as providing a health 
benefit.

Created: November 29, 2003

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Eating peanuts helps keep heart healthy without weight gain
Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology News


WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (USA) - Adding peanuts to that apple a day that 
keeps the doctor away is a good way to stay heart-healthy and trim, 
says a Purdue University professor. 

Research by Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition, and his 
doctoral student, Corinna Alper, proves regular peanut consumption 
helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease without weight gain. 

'Peanuts are the most widely consumed nut in this country,' Mattes 
said. 'They are a rich source of monosaturated fatty acids, magnesium 
and folate, vitamin E, copper, arginine and fiber, all of which have 
cardiovascular disease risk-reducing properties.' 

Mattes said the findings are consistent with several epidemiological 
and clinical studies. 

'Peanuts, which are actually legumes, are often viewed as unhealthy 
because they are high in fat,' said Mattes. 'This is the biggest 
obstacle in peanut consumption. 

'But peanuts are rich in the types of fats that actually reduce 
cardiovascular disease risk and have strong satiety properties - 
meaning a person feels full after eating peanuts - so they do not pose 
a threat of weight gain. People can feel comfortable including them in 
their diet to take advantage of peanuts' reducing the risk of heart 
disease, without adding to body weight.' 

Mattes and Alper conducted three trials in the study. The first trial 
entailed having participants reduce dietary fat intake by 500 calories 
and replace them with 500 calories of peanuts, so total calories did 
not change. Only the source of those calories did. 

In the second trial, individuals consumed their regular diet and added 
500 calories of peanuts, which boosted total caloric intake. In the 
third treatment, individuals were allowed to incorporate peanuts in 
their diets in any way they chose. 

In all three groups, subjects' triglyceride level - a risk factor for 
cardiovascular disease - was lowered significantly. 

'We have learned that regular peanut consumption lowers triglyceride 
levels by as much as 24 percent - even in the group where peanuts were 
added to regular dietary intake,' Mattes said. 'We also saw no 
significant change in body weight, despite adding 500 calories of 
peanuts a day for eight weeks. 

'Of course, we want to know where those calories went. There are three 
possible answers to that question.' 

The first is that peanuts have a high satiety value, and that feeling 
of being full reduces the amount a person eats. Mattes said this 
accounts for the largest portion of missing calories. 

The second possibility is that the peanuts trigger an increase in 
people's resting metabolic rate. The third explanation is that people 
don't chew nuts well, so people's bodies fail to absorb a portion of 
nuts' caloric energy. 

'There is great public health significance to work in this area,' 
Mattes said. 'This particular study indicates it may be an appropriate 
health recommendation to include peanuts in the daily diet.' 

The study was funded by a grant from the United States Agency for 
International/National Development. 

Mattes' team also conducts research in Ghana and Brazil, so he sees 
the peanut research findings have global value. 'There is great 
opportunity for the peanut industry in developing countries,' Mattes 
said. 'Peanuts have a long shelf life and are rich in nutrients.' 

Mattes' study, 'Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular 
Disease Risk in Healthy Adults, ' was published in the April 2003 issue 
of the Journal of American College of Nutrition. In addition to this 
study, Mattes is doing research on identifying how the energy from 
peanuts is used and whether the healthful properties of peanuts are due 
to their oil content. 

Writer: Amy Patterson-Neubert, (765) 494-9723, [log in to unmask] 

Source: Richard Mattes, (765) 494-0662, [log in to unmask] 

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; [log in to unmask] 

ABSTRACT 

Peanut Consumption Improves Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in 
Healthy Adults 

Corinna A. Alper and Richard D. Mattes 

Diets containing nuts reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. This 
has primarily been attributed to their fatty acid compensation, but 
other constituents may also contribute. 

Peanuts, the most widely consumed nut (actually a legume), are a rich 
source of monosaturated fatty acids, magnesium and folate, but their 
effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors are poorly 
characterized. This study determined the effects of chronic peanut 
consumption on diet composition as well as serum lipids, magnesium and 
homocysteine concentrations in free-living subjects under different 
conditions of peanut intake. Regular peanut consumption lowers serum 
triacylglycerol, augments consumption of nutrients associated with 
reduced cardiovascular disease risk and increases serum magnesium 
concentrations. 

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