Peanut – Friend or Foe?

by Evan Crothers

Our country’s love and obsession for peanuts, peanut butter, and a peanut chocolate combo (Reese’s peanut butter cups  mmm…) has been in existence for quite some time.   We can all remember opening our lunch boxes in school to find a wrapped PB&J staring us back in the face. But guess what? There may be more to peanuts than meets the eye, and it’s not great. Yes, our good friend Peanut who has been with us since childhood may not have been the best friend we though he/she was.
Peanuts & Mold
There is a mold that peanuts easily succumb to that produces aflatoxin.  Aflatoxin is a carcinogen that is closely linked to liver cancer.  Your liver is a vital organ which is also your largest fat burning and detoxifying organ.  The toxins in peanuts can create a barrier to your liver functioning at its optimal level.  Not to mention that there are many people out there with allergies to peanuts so severe they can lead to death!

Peanuts are candidates for these toxins for a few reasons.  Compared to most nuts, peanuts have a softer shell which mold can easily penetrate.  Peanuts are part of a plant’s root system and grow underground, experiencing heat fluxuations and humidity, which creates a breeding ground for mold.  Peanuts can also easily grow mold during storage, shipping etc.   Unfortunately, this is all the same potential outcome for organic peanuts and peanut butter due to the fact the mold is not produced from the use or lack of pesticides.  However, non-organic peanuts are some of the most pesticide-saturated foods in the country!

Inflamed
Peanuts contain high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids.  Our bodies need a balanced ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids to stay in optimal health.  Our diet in this country is overcome with omega-6 fatty acids and super low in Omega-3’s.  This is a cause for so much inflammatory diseases such as heart disease.  This is also a reason we have all seen a major push in the last 10 years to consume more Omega-3 fatty acids such as Fish Oil.

What Now?
Luckily there have been many advances in the past few years in creating different peanut butter options.  So you don’t have to completely say goodbye to your childhood friend.  Please allow me to introduce you to MY good friend Almond Butter.  Almond is a way better playmate than Peanut.  Almonds are high in protein, magnesium and vitamin E.  Like most nuts, they are a calorically dense food, so keep consumption to a minimum, especially if weight loss is a goal.

Evan Crothers is a Holistic Health Nutritionist and creator of CONFIDENCE THROUGH NUTRITION.
He received his training from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City.To sign up for a FREE Health History please Visit: Confidencethroughnutrition.com
Email: [email protected]