You've heard that small doses of red wine may be good for your health. Now, United States Department of Agriculture scientists say that peanuts may contain the heart- healthy chemical compound -- resveratrol -- important in red wine.
You've heard that reservatrol, the magic antioxidant in red wine, is exceptionally good for your health. But scientists say that peanuts may also contain the heart-healthy resveratrol.
Research on red wine conducted by other groups has associated a compound called resveratrol with what's now known as the "French paradox" -- that is, despite a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, the French population has a surprisingly low rate of heart disease.
Dr. Timothy Sanders and coworker Robert McMichael of USDA's Raleigh isolated and identified resveratrol in peanuts.
"Frequent consumption of peanuts and/or other nuts result in reduced cardiovascular disease and lowered total cholesterol," according to Sanders.
"The findings suggest that, in moderation, peanuts can be a heart-healthy food."
Earlier research on resveratrol in the 1970s and 1980s indicated that the compound was only found in peanuts that had been inoculated and incubated with microorganisms, making them inedible.
Reports suggest that the average concentration of resveratrol in red wine is 5.7 micrograms/ml or 160 micrograms per fluid ounce.
Sanders' data indicate that peanut seeds contain an average of 2.6 micrograms per gram (with a concentration range of 1.68 to 3.7), which is equivalent to 73 micrograms per ounce.
The typical serving size of peanuts is considered to be one ounce, whereas an average glass of wine is about five fluid ounces.
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