<h2>Peanuts Battle Diabetes Type 2</h2>

Given that the salted peanut is the no. 1 most popular nut snack for Americans, it is always good to learn about additional health benefits it offers.  A recent report in the Health News Digest taken from a Diabetes Care issue, has found that by consuming two ounces of nuts (like peanuts) instead of another carbohydrate on a daily basis, blood glucose control and blood lipids can be improved for people who suffer from Type 2 diabetes.

Indeed, according to one expert, David Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc, “nuts, including peanuts, can make a valuable contribution to the diabetic diet by displacing high glycemic index carbohydrates and replacing them with vegetable fats and vegetable proteins which have been shown in the long term to be associated with better cardiovascular health and diabetes prevention.”

<h2>Protein-Packed Peanuts</h2>

But for those not battling diabetes, can the yummy snack also be beneficial?  Apparently so.  Peanuts have a significant amount more of protein than any other nut and also provide substantial amounts of mono and polyunsaturated oils.  According to the report, “increased proportions of fat and protein, especially of plant origin, may confer metabolic benefits and reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease and diabetes.”

<h2>Anti-Oxidant Rich</h2>

Another great reason to eat peanuts is that research has also revealed that they are very high in antioxidants, possibly even more so than a lot of fruits.  Indeed, for those eating the roasted variety, they can enjoy them in the knowledge that they have more antioxidants than even blackberries, strawberries, carrots and beets with their high levels of antioxidant polyphenols.

So it seems like there are many reasons to enjoy the nutty snack. It’s true that peanuts are high in calories, but if eaten in moderation, research has also revealed that they can help control weight as they significantly curb hunger.

In yet another study designed to find out what it is about the food that we eat that is killing us, it seems to be indicated that “diets low in carbohydrates but heavy on meat” may be making us sick.  Apparently, according to the comparison of two long –term studies, it is much healthier to populate your low-carb diet with plant-based proteins rather than red meat.

The first study followed about 85,000 women for 26 years, from 1980 until 2006. The second study examined the outcome of the diets of about 44,500 men for the 20 years from 1986 until 2006. The researchers looked carefully at the health results the two types of low-carb diets produced in their practitioners. The results were striking.

Men and women on the plant-based protein low carb diet showed a marked reduction in overall death rate, and a pronounced diminishing in the death rates from cancer and cardiovascular disease. Often a low-carb/high-protein diet is referred to as an “Atkins Diet” after the developer of this way of eating. Those on traditional Atkins diets, which incorporates a lot of meat foods such as sausages, bacon, steaks and the like, showed a 23% increased risk of death overall, with a 14% increase in dying from heart disease and a 28% increase in the chances of dying from cancer.

Those who got their protein from plant sources, known as the ‘Eco-Atkins’ diet, showed a lower rate of overall death by 20%, and 23% lower death rate from cardiovascular disease.

The conclusions to draw seem clear. A low carb diet is only beneficial to one’s health if the source of all the protein and fat in one’s diet is not meat, but is instead things like avocados, peanut butter, soy, legumes, and nuts. Just eating fewer carbohydrates is not enough. The source of protein is crucial, as this study has shown.