Study: Consuming 3 Ounces of Peanuts Benefits Endothelial Function
According to a recent study, the consumption of 3 ounces of peanuts as a part of a high-fat meal improved postprandial serum triglyceride (TG) response and preserved endothelial function in healthy overweight and obese men.
The researchers conducted a randomized, controlled, crossover postprandial study that included 15 healthy overweight or obese men (mean body mass index: 31.4 kg/m2) to examine the effects of acute peanut consumption on postprandial lipids and endothelial function. Participants consumed a shake with 85 grams of ground peanuts (1198 kcal; 40.0% carbohydrate, 47.7% fat, 19.4% saturated fat, 13.2% protein) and a placebo shake of equal energy and macronutrient value 1 week apart in random order. Researchers measured lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, and insulin at baseline, and 30, 60 and 240 minutes after participants consumed the shake. In addition, endothelial function was assessed with flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), which was measured at baseline and 240 minutes after shake consumption.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Related Content
Peanut Allergy Diagnosis: As Simple as Ara h 1, 2, and 3
Fixing Peanut Allergy by Eating Peanuts
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Their findings showed that acute peanut consumption reduced TG response compared with the control meal (means ± SEMs—120 min: 188.9 ± 19.4 compared with 197.5 ± 20.7 mg/dL; 240 min: 189.9 ± 24.3 compared with 197.3 ± 18.4 mg/dL; P<0.05 for both). However, only the control meal significantly decreased FMD at 240 minutes compared with baseline (control: −1.2% ± 0.5%; P=0.029; peanut: −0.6% ± 0.5%; P=0.3).
Likewise, the control meal significantly decreased FMD in participants with higher baseline total-cholesterol (>150 mg/dL) and LDL-cholesterol (>100 mg/dL) concentrations (−1.8%, P=0.017; −2.0%, P=0.038). The peanut meal maintained endothelial function in all participants regardless of total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations.
“These findings suggest that the inclusion of peanuts in the context of a high-fat meal may have favorable postprandial cardiometabolic effects,” the researchers concluded.
—Melissa Weiss
Reference:
Liu X, Hill AM, West SG, et al. Acute peanut consumption alters postprandial lipids and vascular responses in healthy overweight or obese men [published online March 29, 2017]. J Nutr. doi:10.3945/jn.116.246785J.