Fave snack nut can pack toxic mould]

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>

> The peanut jam

> Fave snack nut can pack toxic mould

> BY Sibylle Preuschat

>

> http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2004-10-21/goods_health.php

>

> Peanuts pop up everywhere – as party snacks, in the fave peanut butter

> and

> jelly sandwich and as a major ingredient in trail mix, marketed as a

> health

> food.

>

> The popularity of this humble bean (peanuts are a legume that grows

> underground, unlike most nuts that grow on trees) took off in North

> America

> in the lean second world war years, when goober peas, as they are

> sometimes

> called, were promoted as a cheap source of protein.

>

> Really, though, how healthy are they? We all know that even trace amounts

> can be life-threatening to someone with a peanut allergy, but what about

> the rest of us?

>

> On the plus side, peanuts are a good source of potassium, magnesium, zinc

> and selenium, all important minerals. They also supply B vitamins,

> vitamin

> E, fibre and essential fatty acids. Studies have shown that peanuts

> contain

> resveratrol, the antioxidant that produces red wine's heart-protective

> effects. Peanut consumption also lowers triglyceride levels; elevated

> triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease.

>

> But their critics say that the majority of nuts on the market today are

> contaminated with wellness-zapping moulds and possibly even trace amounts

> of aflatoxins, poisons produced by a particular type of fungus. Health

> Canada inspects for the highly carcinogenic aflatoxins, but given the

> living nature of moulds, it's impossible to reduce your risk of

> exposure to

> zero. Mould toxins can affect both organically and conventionally

> grown crops.

>

> Issues of contamination aside, some consider this legume difficult to

> digest and not suitable for daily consumption even by the healthy. Others

> note the peanut's hormonal properties: it has been used to encourage

> breast

> milk production and ease menopausal symptoms.

>

> The upshot is, we decided it was time to spread a little skepticism about

> this everyday munchy.

>

> What the experts say

>

> " There isn't a single peanut in North America that isn't contaminated

> with

> mould. Aside from people who have deathly allergies, many who are feeling

> chronically ill for other reasons may be very sensitive to mould. Healthy

> people should also stay away. If you have too much of these moulds in

> your

> system, it can affect your immunity. I don't know what the safe level is.

> There's something wrong with every food, but this is really an avoidable

> disease-causer. I think peanuts probably should be banned. "

>

> ZOLTAN RONA , MD, MSc, Toronto

>

> " Peanut butter is one of the foods in which pesticide residues have been

> found most frequently. Another issue is that peanuts contain omega-6

> fatty

> acids. If peanuts become part of your regular diet and you're also

> consuming other foods high in omega-6 fats, it could throw off your

> balance

> between omega-3 and omega-6 oils. Nuts that contain omega-3 oils would be

> better. I recommend raw almond butter and raw almonds and walnuts. If

> people are looking for peanut butter, an organic brand from New Mexico is

> better because it's so dry there that peanuts don't have a lot of

> aflatoxins. I pour the oil off the top, which gets rid of the

> omega-6s, and

> if the peanut butter is dry add a little olive oil. "

>

> JANESS TOMLINSON , holistic nutritionist, Toronto

>

> " Heat and fats don't go together in terms of health benefits, but roasted

> peanuts are still beneficial. The fibre and protein will be unharmed

> by the

> roasting process. The quality of the fats won't be as good, but peanuts

> still have a good fatty acid profile. A good serving size is about 15

> to 20

> peanuts. We don't need to worry about aflatoxins. They develop in warm,

> humid storage conditions. We have good-quality conditions here. The

> government checks for aflatoxins and has storage standards, so you should

> only find aflatoxins in trace amounts, if at all. Still, you shouldn't

> have

> peanuts or peanut butter every day. There are many natural toxins in

> foods;

> that's one reason to vary your food supply. Never eat mouldy or stale and

> dry nuts.''

>

> SUSAN FYSHE , registered dietitian with Healthy Lifestyle Nutrition,

> Toronto

>

> " Peanuts are good for people whose metabolism, from a traditional Chinese

> medicine (TCM) perspective, is too high, who are always hungry, always

> eating. But many of us are not like that - in fact, our digestion is

> sluggish, especially vegetarians, and peanuts slow the digestion down

> even

> more, causing dampness in TCM terms. The signs of dampness include

> sluggish

> energy, bloating, indigestion, loose stools and weight gain. Organic

> peanuts are better, and it's best to avoid the hydrogenated fat and icing

> sugar in the regular peanut butter and get the stuff that's just made out

> of peanuts. "

>

> KALEB MONTGOMERY , doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, Toronto

>

> " The combination of bread and peanut butter creates a lot of dampness in

> the body. It's also easy to take peanut butter in excess because it's

> more

> concentrated. If there are high levels of toxicity in the body,

> peanuts are

> also not advised because they are hard on digestion. Even for those who

> don't have any known allergies or indigestion, (it's best to avoid

> eating)

> peanuts with milk, dairy products or fruit juices. Peanuts are best eaten

> by themselves. They do have therapeutic uses and might be prescribed as

> part of an Ayurvedic regime. It really depends on the individual. "

>

> ISMAT NATHANI , Ayurvedic neurotherapist, Toronto

>

> NOW | OCT 21 - 27, 2004 | VOL. 24 NO. 8

>

>