Eating peanuts can help prevent colon and rectal cancer and eating peanut sprouts can slow the ageing process, two researchers in Taiwan said Thursday.
The results of the two studies by China Medical University (CMU)
and National Chiayi University (NCU) challenged the common view
that eating many peanuts or peanut butter is risky because
aflatoxin - the fungus on peanut shells - can cause liver cancer.
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Aflatoxin is formed because of improper storage and is usually
caused by humid weather.
CMU researchers found that eating peanuts frequently can help
prevent colon and rectal cancer after they studied the eating
habits of 23 941 residents in eight counties in Taiwan.
Yeh Chih-ching, assistant professor at CMU's Department of Risk
Management, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) that during the course
of the study from 1991 to 2001, 109 people developed colon or
rectal cancer.
"We compared the cancer patients' eating habits with that of
those who did not have cancer and found that the latter had been
eating more peanuts," he said.
Cuts colorectal cancer risk
Yeh said eating peanuts twice a week can cut women's risk of
developing colon or rectal cancer by 58 per cent and men's chances
by 27 per cent.
Yeh said he believes that phytic acid, phytosterol and
resveratrol in peanuts have cancer-prevention effects.
His study found no link between aflatoxin and the development of
liver cancer, he added, but said it found that eating too many
pickled vegetables can cause cancer.
The study showed that if a woman eats pickles more than twice a
week, her chances of developing colon cancer are twice that of
those who do not eat pickles.
Peanut sprouts may prolong life
Meanwhile, a study by NCU Professor Chiu Yi-yuan showed that
eating peanut sprouts can prolong lifespan because it is rich in
the antioxidant resveratrol.
Chiu, who has been studying peanuts for 25 years, said there is
30 parts per million of resveratrol in peanut sprout, compared with
1 part per million of resveratrol in red wine, whose health
benefits are well-known.
To grow the sprouts, people can soak shelled peanuts in tap
water for four to six hours. After that, the peanuts should be
covered with a wet towel for five to seven days, but Chiu told dpa
that the peanuts must be washed once a day to keep them wet and
clean.
Aflatoxin fears dismissed
Chiu dismissed fears that there is aflatoxin in peanut sprouts.
"Only clean and good peanuts can sprout, so there is no
aflatoxin in peanut sprout," he said.
Both Chiu and Yeh suggested eating peanuts, peanut sprouts or
peanut butter on a regular basis as health food but advised
moderation, warning that eating too many peanuts - which are high
in calories - is bad for health.
In Taiwan, peanuts are also called "changshengguo," which means
longevity fruit. – (Sapa-dpa)
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