Regular consumption of peanuts and peanut butter could improve vascular biomarkers in healthy young adults
A recent study published in Antioxidants evaluated the association of urinary phenolic metabolites with vascular biomarkers after peanut product consumption.
The study was a three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial conducted in 63 healthy young adults. Participants were instructed to consume either 25 g/day of skin roasted peanuts, 32 g/day of peanut butter or 32 g/day of a control butter for six months. Urinary phenolic metabolites were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and urinary eicosanoids —prostacyclin I2 (PGI2) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2)— were determined using two competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.
Consumers of skin roasted peanuts and peanut butter presented significantly higher excretion of urinary phenolic metabolites in comparison with the control group. An improvement in PGI2 levels and the TXA2: PGI2 ratio was also observed after the peanut interventions compared to the control group. Urinary phenolic metabolites with significantly higher post-intervention levels were correlated with an improvement in vascular biomarkers.
These findings suggest that urinary phenolic metabolites with higher excretion after peanut product consumption could have a positive impact on vascular health. The study shows for the first time that regular peanut and peanut butter consumption could have a positive impact on vascular biomarkers in healthy young adults.
This study was supported by funding from the Peanut Institute.
Parilli-Moser, I., Domínguez-López, I., Vallverdú-Queralt, A. et al. (2023). Urinary Phenolic Metabolites Associated with Peanut Consumption May Have a Beneficial Impact on Vascular Health Biomarkers. Antioxidants. 2023; 12(3):698.