The peanut butter diet gave a 21 percent reduction in cardiovascular risk, compared with 26 percent for olive oil and 12 percent for a lowfat diet. The Athens researchers have developed a more accurate method for analyzing folic acid in foods. Their method has been adopted by the FDA and it is being accepted worldwide, Eitenmiller said. They discovered that peanuts have even higher levels of Vitamin E and folic acid than previously thought. Almost all nuts are high in Vitamin E, an antioxidant that neutralizes compounds that damage living cells.
Folic acid is well-known for preventing birth defects when taken in proper doses by pregnant women.
The FDA has mandated since 1998 that cereals be enriched with folic acid to reduce the risk of birth defects. Peanut consumption declined during the late 1980s and the early 1990s when nutritionists were recommending lowfat diets. Now they acknowledge that a moderate amount of fat from such foods as olive oil and nuts can be beneficial. The key is moderation. An ounce of peanuts packs 166 calories and 14.1 grams of fat, while an ounce of pecans has 187 calories and 18.3 grams of fat.