The Problem with Peanuts

by Doug DiPasquale May 19th 2009 2:33AM

Categories: Health, Healthy Eating

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Right off the bat I want to say that peanuts are good. They are high in antioxidants, a good source of fibre, on par with soy in the protein department, and high in mono-unsaturated fats (the same kind of good fats found in olive oil). The negative things I have to say about peanuts are not inherent to the nut itself, but more what we humans do with it. That being said, if we're careful about our peanut consumption and limit the amount we're eating, these little guys are safe.

Now the problem with peanuts. Unfortunately, peanuts are one of the most pesticide laden of all crops. Peanuts grown in more moist climates are attractive to pests and therefore are heavily sprayed. This in combination with the fact that peanuts are porous and very absorbent means the peanuts we get in our supermarkets may contain more pesticides than anything else on the shelves.



OK, so buy organic peanuts and peanut butter, right? No problem. Well, this solves one problem with peanuts, but there's more.

You may have heard mention of a certain substance in peanuts that is carcinogenic. That substance is called aflatoxin and it is a byproduct of a mold called aspergillus which, while present everywhere, is found in high concentration in peanuts. The mold itself is harmless, but the aflatoxin it produces is a known carcinogen when present in high enough concentrations. What's more, in most cases aspergillus, and its resulting aflatoxin, are completely invisible to the naked eye. Many nutritionists have said that aflatoxin is ALWAYS present on peanuts and that peanuts should therefore never be consumed.

I came across an article online where the author was actually suggesting you choose conventionally grown, pesticide laden peanuts over the organic variety because the fungicides applied to the conventionally grown nuts will reduce the amount of aflatoxin present. To me, this seems like ridiculous advice - really you're just trading one type of carcinogen for another.

Peanuts grown in warmer, dryer climates have limited mold growth and therefore tend to be naturally lower in aflatoxins. Aflatoxins have not been reported as being a problem in peanuts grown in Southern United States like New Mexico (the largest producer of organic peanuts in the US). Drier climates also don't tend to have the same problems with pests on their peanut crops, so even conventionally grown nuts in dry climates may be lower in pesticides (but not necessarily).

Here's the safest way to consume peanuts - first off, avoid loose bulk nuts in favour of vacuum packed - this lessens the amount of exposure the nuts have had to the air and thus limits the growth of the aspergillus mold (and therefore will have less aflatoxin present). Government agencies have controls for the amount of aflatoxin permitted to be present in peanuts and peanut products at their shipping time, but who knows how long loose nuts could have been sitting in the warehouse or in the bulk bin of the store, increasing mold growth.

Second, try to get peanuts that are as local as is possible. The less time peanuts spend in travel, the less chance there is for mold to grow on them. Now, in Canada this can be a bit tricky because, outside of Southern Ontario, you aren't going to find locally grown peanuts. But let's at least try to keep it to the the same continent. Peanuts shipped from overseas are not a good option. Localvores, those limiting their diets to food grown within a 100 mile radius, may have to kiss peanuts goodbye if they're not living within a 100 mile radius of Southern Ontario (unless there are other places people are growing peanuts in Canada of which I'm unaware). Healthier brands of peanut butter will often state with pride where their peanuts are coming from on the packaging. If not, check the website. Remember, peanuts grown in drier climates are preferable.

Third, eat peanut butter that has one ingredient - peanuts. Conventional peanut butters are often loaded with sugar and hydrogenated oils meaning they are also loaded with trans fats. I once heard someone refer to conventional peanut butter as "peanut flavoured Crisco". This is why these peanut butters are so spreadable. If you've ever seen fresh ground peanut butter, you know what ground peanuts look like, and it isn't Jif. Also, with conventional peanut butters, you usually have no idea where the nuts originated - another reason to avoid them.

Following these guidelines as well as limiting how often you're eating them should mean you are exposed to little if any risk from peanuts.

The Healthy Foodie is Doug DiPasquale, Holistic Nutritionist and trained chef, living in Toronto. You can email him with questions at dugdeep@gmail.com.

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