Other studies are in the works on peanuts' potential benefits in protecting against certain cancers. About half is consumed as peanut butter. The peanut plant probably originated in Brazil or Peru. Portuguese explorers transplanted it to Africa, and it was brought to America as an inexpensive, high-protein staple consumed by soldiers during the Civil War. Peanuts, along with beans and peas, belong to the plant family, Leguminosae.
Legumes are edible seeds enclosed in pods.
Legumes provide the best source of concentrated protein in the plant kingdom. In 1997, Georgia grew nearly 38 percent of all U.S. peanuts, more than any other state.