🌿 Research Indicates Regular Peanut Consumption Reduces Gallstone Risk
Two studies from Harvard Medical School suggest that regular peanut consumption reduces gallstone risk and lowers the likelihood of surgical intervention.
A Harvard research team followed 43,823 middle-aged men over 12 years. Men who ate peanuts or other nuts at least once a week had a 30% lower risk of developing gallstones compared to those who rarely or never ate them.
In another Harvard study, researchers tracked 80,718 middle-aged women over 20 years. Among them, 7,831 underwent gallbladder removal surgery. Detailed dietary analysis revealed that women who ate more than 5 ounces of peanuts per week had a 20% lower chance of needing surgery than those who rarely or never consumed peanuts. Most gallstones are cholesterol-based. When lipid metabolism is abnormal, the balance between cholesterol, bile acids, and lecithin in bile breaks down, leading to cholesterol crystallization and stone formation. The preventive effect of peanuts on gallstones may stem from their ability to regulate lipid metabolism.