A recent study conducted by scientists from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, has revealed more reasons why regular consumption of groundnuts and other leguminous food crops could improve one’s health.
The findings affirms that groundnut and leguminous food crops such as white beans, chickpeas, borlotti beans, adzuki beans, black beans and lentils, just to name a few are highly nutritious and sustainable sources of essential nutrients which are very key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The lead author of the study, Tahl Zimmerman, a senior researcher and lecturer, stated that such leguminous food crops are rich sources of magnesium, protein, fiber, Vitamin E, and arginine. The nutrients and minerals serve various vital functions in the body.
To build upon the research finding the researchers mentioned a few points on the benefits of consuming groundnuts on a regular basis stating that groundnut boosts memory power, lowers risks of developing heart problems and complications, lowers cholesterol level, aids in blood sugar regulation, helps in fighting depression, increases your stamina in bed, promotes fertility, aids in treating skin disorders, aids in elimination of toxins and wastes in the body and reduces risks of stomach cancer.
They further disclosed that not only are legumes one nature’s true superfoods, but they are pocket-friendly. The nutritionists concluded their findings advising that people make further discovery on what legumes are, why they are good to the body and how to use them.
According to another study conducted by researchers namely, Soraya C M. Leal- Bertoili from the university of Georgia and team members validated it that, being a grain legume, peanut has an important nutritional value for human beings, and its nutritional value has been exploited for combating malnutrition in children.
The study published on Research Gate Science noted that groundnut or peanut is an important legume food crop very much known for its diverse uses including oil production, direct human consumption as food and also animal consumption in the form of hay, silage and cake.
The researchers also made mention of the fact that the breeding objectives in groundnut are mainly focused at increasing yield and improving resistance to foliar diseases and nematodes, tolerance to drought, quality of oil and food and safety (resistance to aflatoxin contamination and reduced allergencity) by humans and animals.
Although groundnuts and other nuts have been said to be highly prone to foliar diseases and causes significant yield losses but various researches have proven it to be more helpful to the human body as groundnuts are abundant in protein, healthy fats and dietary fiber, immensely rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus and B vitamins.
