Peanut oil is most commonly used in Asian cultures, including the cuisine of China and Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Most of the health benefits of peanut oil come from its diverse types of fatty acids, such as oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid, among others. While unbalanced levels of fatty acids can be dangerous for your health, peanut oil has a very safe balance that can boost your health in a variety of ways, in addition to the health benefits from the other vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds found in peanuts.
# Cholesterol Levels
Unlike many other vegetable oils, peanut oil is actually free of any cholesterol, which is one of the major contributing factors to complicated heart conditions such as atherosclerosis, which is basically clogging of the arteries. Since cooking oil is used in many different ways, eliminating this dangerous cholesterol from your body can help prevent a variety of health complications. Furthermore, not only does peanut oil lack cholesterol, it can actually reduce your current levels of cholesterol due to the presence of plant sterols.
# Heart Health
Lowering your chances of atherosclerosis, as explained above, can reduce your chances of heart attacks and strokes. However, peanut oil also contains monounsaturated fatty acids, like oleic acid, which increase the levels of “good cholesterol”, called HDL, in the blood. This beneficial cholesterol actually helps to scrape off and reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower your chances of coronary heart disease and strokes
# Cancer Prevention
Peanut oil also has high levels of polyphenol antioxidants, including resveratrol. This compound works to eliminate free radicals, which are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism that are responsible for a huge range of diseases in the body, including cancer. Studies have shown that switching to a vegetable oil high in resveratrol, like peanut oil, can decrease your chances of developing cancer thanks to this powerful antioxidant.
# Blood Pressure
Resveratrol has another important function in the body. It interacts with various hormones in the body that affect blood vessels, like angiotensin, which constricts vessels and arteries. By neutralizing the effects of that hormone, resveratrol helps to decrease blood pressure, which reduces stress on the cardiovascular system.
# Immune SystemA final benefit of the impressive levels of resveratrol in peanut oil is the improvement of your immune system. Viral and fungal infections are particularly susceptible to this antioxidant, so adding peanut oil to your diet can keep you healthy in yet another way, by stimulating your white blood cell production to fend off any foreign agents in your body.