Nuts & Peanuts > Composition > Antioxidants & Phytonutrients

Antioxidants & Phytonutrients

Plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, peanuts and tree nuts contain naturally occcurring plant compounds or phytonutrients. Although much research still needs to be done, these phytonutrients may provide a wide range of health benefits.  The phytonutrients in peanuts and tree nuts include a variety of flavonoids and phenolic compounds.

• Research on peanuts has identified a number of phytonutrients. One such phytonutrient is resveratrol, also found in red wine and associated with the health benefits of red wine.

• Phytosterols which have been shown to lower LDL-cholesterol are also present in peanuts, almonds and other nuts. In a recent review article predictive equations were used to determine whether the LDL-cholesterol reduction observed in clinical nutrition studies using nuts was greater than the LDL-cholesterol reduction that would be predicted based on the fats in the diets alone.1 The results indicated that the observed reductions in LDL-cholesterol were greater than what would have been predicted based on the fats in the diet. This indicates that the phytonutrients found in nuts contribute to the reduction of LDL-cholesterol in clinical research studies.

*USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17.
† USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21.

• A number of phytonutrients also have been identified in almonds. Almonds contain the catechins commonly found in tea, red wine, and chocolate; naringenin found in citrus fruits, and quercetin and kaempferol found in apples and other fruits and vegetables.

• The skins found on nuts are rich sources of phytonutrients. Scientists found that California almonds contain flavonoids and phenolic acids in their skins similar to some fruits and vegetables.2  In fact, according to the scientists, a one-ounce serving of almonds contains a similar amount of total polyphenols as one cup of green tea and 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli.
• Many of the phytonutrients as well as the vitamin E naturally found in some nuts have antioxidant activity. As a result, a serving of peanuts or other nuts can provide antioxidant activity similar to some fruits and vegetables.

Reference List

1. Griel, A. E. and Kris-Etherton, P. M. Tree nuts and the lipid profile: a review of clinical studies. Br J Nutr 96 Suppl 2 68-78, 2006.

2. Milbury, P. E., Chen, C. Y., Dolnikowski, G. G., and Blumberg, J. B. Determination of flavonoids and phenolics and their distribution in almonds. J.Agric.Food Chem. 54 (14): 5027-5033, July 12, 2006.