Eating skin-roasted peanuts had a positive impact on telomere length
A recent clinical trial published in the journal Antioxidants suggests that regular peanut consumption may help protect DNA by increasing telomere length in healthy young adults.
Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that naturally shorten with age and stress. Shorter telomeres are associated with aging and an increased risk of various diseases. In this randomized controlled trial, participants who consumed a daily portion of peanuts or peanut butter over six months experienced a significant increase in the length of their telomeres, compared to those who did not.
The study involved 63 healthy young adults aged 18 to 33 years. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three six-month interventions: 25 grams (roughly one handful) per day of skin-roasted peanuts, 32 grams per day of peanut butter, or 32 grams per day of a control butter. The findings revealed that eating skin-roasted peanuts had a positive impact on telomere length, providing evidence that peanuts may support longevity at the cellular level. The researchers suggested that these benefits may be due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of peanuts.
This study was supported by The Peanut Institute.
Torres-Oteros, D., Parilli-Moser, I., Laveriano Santos, E. P., Becerra-Tomás, N., Sanz-Lamora, H., Hurtado-Barroso, S., Haro, D., Marrero, P. F., Lamuela-Raventos, R. M., Relat, J., & Canudas, S. (2025). Unveiling the Impact of Peanut Consumption on Telomere Length in Young and Healthy Individuals: Insights from the ARISTOTLE Study: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 14(4), 467.