A study published in the medical journal Stroke by Ikehara et al on September 9th 2021, showed that Japanese who had higher peanuts consumption had reduced risk of stroke. About 75 thousand Japanese men and women completed a lifestyle questionnaire and were followed over a median period of about 15 years..
This finding is supported by the biological effects of certain nutrients contained in peanuts, especially monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are known to have a favorable effect on reduction of cardiovascular disease. Other beneficial nutrients in peanuts include magnesium, folate, dietary fiber and vitamin E, which are known to lower the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
Peanut consumption may be a marker of healthy dietary pattern. This is the first prospective study to show an inverse relationship between peanut consumption and the risk of stroke, especially ischemic stroke, which constitutes the majority of strokes.
This was a well conducted prospective study but I have to point out that it has limitations. The study had low validity and moderate reliability of peanut consumption. In addition, it was not clear whether the peanuts were plain or flavored with salty or other flavor, and whether that affected the results.