If you haven’t heard of jungle peanuts before, you wouldn’t be alone! This superfood is fairly rare and represents less than 0.01% of US consumption. While regular peanuts and the jungle variety come from the same species, Arachis Hypogaea, jungle peanuts are native to South America, primarily Ecuador and Peru. Most the time, jungle peanuts come from the Achuar people, a community of less than 20,000 people who reside along the Amazon. Jungle peanuts are minimally cultivated so they remain truer to the original plant, while the regular peanut is the product of generations of cultivation and industrial farming.
Since both styles of peanuts come from the same species, it is easy to assume that they share a lot of the same benefits. For starters, both varieties are dependable sources of protein. Surprisingly, peanuts are the best nuts for this because nearly a third of their content is protein! Peanuts are also rich in antioxidants, especially resveratrol when eaten raw. Resveratrol has anti-inflammatory properties which might help protect the body from diseases like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Another benefit is that both varieties of peanuts have a higher ratio of good fats, monounsaturated, when compared to other nuts. The ratio of monounsaturated fats and the fact that peanuts are cholesterol-free make them a heart healthy snack!
With all this being said, all peanuts are not created equal! Often times it is difficult to find raw peanuts for sale, but peanuts of the jungle variety are almost exclusively sold raw. Most the peanuts stocking the shelves at your local grocery store have been blanched, roasted or seasoned in some way. If peanuts are heated in any way, many of the vitamins and nutrients are destroyed by the heat. Since our jungle peanuts at Foods Alive are always raw, there’s no need to worry about losing any nutritional value!
Curious about the protein-packed snack, the rumble from the jungle? Visit our website to learn more about the magic of Jungle Peanuts and order a bag today!
Source:
https://superfoodly.com/wild-jungle-peanuts-vs-regular-peanuts-benefits-nutrition/
