Peanuts- The New Protein Source In Indian Diet What You Need To Know A

In India, people have seen and are still going through several changes in the field of personal healthcare. From the homemade meals enjoyed by previous generations to the sudden shift towards health-deteriorating snacking and busy lifestyles to once again becoming conscious of how we treat our bodies, India has seen and is still going through several transformations.

While topics like health, fitness, and immunity have gained increased attention and popularity in recent years, there has been little progress made in conversations around protein — the building blocks of muscles.

The fact that the majority of Indians have protein-deficient diets is concerning. According to several studies, over 70% of Indians have protein deficiency.

https://www.runtastic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/protein_overview_bp-1.jpg

Protein deficiency is a significant problem in India due to a lack of awareness and information about the benefits of protein. The Indian Council of Medical Research recommends that an average adult consume one gram of protein per kg of body weight every day, but many Indians do not achieve this level of consumption. According to recent surveys, per capita, protein consumption in urban areas has been declining while it has remained stable in rural areas.

What are the effects of Protein Deficiency?

Swelling

One of the most common symptoms of low protein intake is an edema—a build-up of fluid in your tissues, most often around your ankles, knees, and hands. The cause is unknown, but it may be related to an inability to get enough protein into your system.

Being Moody

The brain utilizes neurotransmitters to relay information between the cells. Many of the neurotransmitters are made of amino acids, which happen to be the building blocks of protein. Therefore a lack of protein in your diet could mean that your body can't make enough of these neurotransmitters, and that would change how your brain works. For example, low levels of dopamine and serotonin may cause you to feel depressed or overly aggressive.

Hair, Nails, and Skin

Protein is the building block for hair, skin, and nail growth. When your body does not produce enough of these proteins, your hair may break or become thin; your skin may be dry and flaky, and your fingernails may show deep ridges. Diet does not cause brittle or thinning hair, dry skin, or deep ridges on fingernails; however, it can contribute to other conditions that are associated with brittle and thinning hair, such as eczema and psoriasis.

Weakness and Fatigue

According to research, a lack of protein can damage older adults' posture and movement. One study showed that just one week of not eating enough protein can affect the muscles responsible for your posture and movement, especially if you're 55 or older.

Over time, a lack of protein can make you lose muscle mass, which in turn cuts your strength and makes it harder for you to keep your balance. It also slows your metabolism, increasing the risk of anemia (when cells don't get enough oxygen). This condition makes you tired.

Hunger

Protein provides one of the three main sources of calories in the human diet, along with carbohydrates and fats. If you want to eat more often than you do now, without having any negative effects on your health or weight, you may need more protein in your diet. Studies have found that eating foods with protein can make you feel fuller throughout the day.

Slow-Healing Injuries

People with low protein stores have a tendency to have slower-healing cuts and scrapes, as well as sprains and other exercise-related mishaps. These problems may be caused by an inability to make collagen, which is found in connective tissues as well as the skin. To make blood clot, you need proteins as well; if your body doesn't make enough, it slows clotting time.

Getting or Staying Sick

According to the National Institutes of Health, amino acids in your blood help your immune system make antibodies that activate white blood cells to fight off viruses, bacteria, and toxins. Protein also helps you digest and absorb other nutrients that keep you healthy. It also seems that protein can change the levels of disease-fighting "good" bacteria in your gut.

How do we overcome protein deficiency?

Well, it is all about the ‘packages’. Foods that are high in protein are important for a healthy diet. Foods with a lot of protein also tend to have high levels of other nutrients, such as fats, sodium, and fiber. The type of protein (i.e., animal vs. plant) also has an effect on health.

A majority of mothers believe that vegetarian diets are limited in comparison to non-vegetarian ones, which can make it difficult for vegetarians to break the myth that their diet doesn't provide enough protein.

A healthy diet includes a variety of foods, including fruit and vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts, whole grains (e.g., unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, and brown rice), and rice. At least 400 grams of fruit or vegetables a day, excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other starchy roots should be consumed.

However, a well-planned vegetarian diet can provide all the necessary nutrients, including protein. High protein sources such as soybeans, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans all provide quality vegetarian protein.

Legumes are nutritious, versatile foods that can be substituted for meat in a variety of dishes. Legumes are typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber that may help prevent heart disease. If you'd like to add more legumes to your diet but aren't sure where to start or how to prepare them, this guide can help you identify what's available and how to prepare it.

Eating peanuts may help make you feel full due to their high protein content. In fact, studies show that adding peanut butter to a high-carb meal may help reduce blood sugar spikes after the meal by curbing cravings.

Why Peanuts?

Peanuts are a great source of plant-based protein, the protein content ranges from 28–30% of its total calories, making it the best for a vegetarian diet.

Peanuts are an excellent source of protein, containing 26 grams per 100 grams. They also provide healthy fats, mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. An arginine is a form of amino acid present in peanuts.

Although peanuts are sometimes thought of as nuts, they are actually legumes rather than true nuts. Peanuts and peanut butter are both packed with nutrients, like protein, magnesium, folate, and vitamin E.

For example: if you ate a slice of bread without peanut butter on it but with an apple on the side instead; or if you ate an entire bagel without any filling (like cream cheese) but with peanut butter added instead; or if you wouldn't have reached for your favorite snack but instead ate some vegetables instead or picked up some fruit from the market instead—these substitutions can help stabilize your blood sugar levels and keep it from spiking too high after eating sugary foods or having a meal containing carbohydrates such as bread or pastries.

Health Benefits of Peanuts

Many people are not aware that the peanut is a nut and not a legume. In fact, the peanut is one of the healthiest foods available to consumers, and unlike many nuts such as almonds or walnuts, it is actually very nutritious

Healthy Heart

A number of studies have suggested that peanuts may be just as beneficial for heart health as other popular nuts, such as walnuts and almonds. Research has shown that peanuts can lower cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease by preventing the formation of blood clots. Peanuts also appear to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Lose Weight

Foods that contain a high amount of protein can help you feel full with fewer calories. Peanuts are second only to almonds when it comes to protein count, which has been shown to help people maintain a healthy weight. People who include moderate amounts of peanuts in their diet will not gain weight from peanuts, and could even lose weight.

Live Longer

Eating nuts may help extend your life. A large-scale study found, that people who regularly ate any nuts (including peanuts) were less likely to die than people who seldom ate nuts. The study was observational and cannot prove that peanuts cause a lower death rate, but it is associated with this effect.

Lower Diabetes Risk

Peanuts provide energy, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are a low glycemic index food that does not impact blood sugar levels. A study found that eating peanuts can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

Cancer Prevention

Research suggests that people over 50 who eat peanut butter may lower the risk of developing gastric non-cardia adenocarcinoma, a type of stomach cancer.

How to Use Peanuts

Peanuts can be eaten raw, blanched, roasted, boiled, or fried. Eating them with their thin, papery skin is most nutritionally beneficial. The skin contains many antioxidants and phytochemicals. And hence, adding more peanuts to your diet is easy enough to do whether eaten with thin skin or in peanut butter.

Here are a few ways to use peanuts in a variety of dishes:

● Bake peanut cookies or pies.

● Have a banana sandwich with peanut butter.

● Add peanut butter to everything, like hummus.

● Use peanuts as toppings, in salad and yogurt.

● Try including peanuts in your stir fry or noodles dish.

● Get the Thai peanut sauce and dip spring rolls into it