Peanuts and heart risk in men with high cholesterol
What it found
In 54 men with high cholesterol, adding about 77 g of peanuts a day to their usual diet for 4 weeks raised HDL cholesterol and lowered two cholesterol ratios and an estimated 10 year heart risk score.
Total and LDL cholesterol did not change.
What they found
Studies in people
Good cholesterol up
HDL cholesterol rose by an average of 6.1 mg/dl, a 17% increase, when the men added peanuts to their usual diet.
Cholesterol ratios down
The total cholesterol to HDL ratio fell by an average of 1, and the LDL to HDL ratio fell by an average of 0.7. Both ratios dropped by 13%.
Total and LDL cholesterol
Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides did not change significantly with peanut supplementation.
Antioxidants in blood
Total antioxidant capacity in the blood rose by 13% with peanut supplementation.
Atherogenic index
The atherogenic index of plasma, a marker of plaque buildup risk, fell by 35% with peanut supplementation.
Estimated heart risk
The estimated 10 year risk of a heart event fell by 14% based on systolic blood pressure and by 24% based on diastolic blood pressure.
Weight and blood pressure
Body weight and blood pressure stayed stable throughout the study, even though the men ate more calories and fat.
What the authors conclude
“Short-term peanut consumption might improve lipid profiles, the AIP and CHD risk in free-living hypercholesterolaemic men.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that short-term peanut consumption might improve lipid profiles, the atherogenic index of plasma and heart disease risk in free-living men with high cholesterol.
- They say that adding peanuts to the diet without any other dietary changes can favourably modify these risk factors.
- They call for more studies to determine the long-term effects of peanut consumption on lipid profiles, metabolic changes and heart disease risk in men with high cholesterol.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see whether peanuts themselves help, since earlier studies combined peanuts with low fat or low saturated fat diets, making it unclear whether the peanut or the diet change was responsible.
Fifty-four men aged 25 to 65 with total cholesterol between 200 and 350 mg/dl ate their usual diet for 4 weeks and their usual diet plus peanuts for 4 weeks, in random order, with a 4 week gap between. Peanuts were given at 60, 77 or 93 g a day depending on the man's energy intake.
What it can’t tell you
- The study lasted only 4 weeks, so it cannot show what happens over months or years.
- The men were all hypercholesterolaemic men, so the results may not apply to women or to people with normal cholesterol.
- The study measured risk factors and estimated risk scores, not actual heart attacks or deaths.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Shahid Beheshti University MC, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Peanut consumption and cardiovascular risk
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Ghadimi Nouran M, Kimiagar M, Abadi A, Mirzazadeh M, Harrison G (2010). Peanut consumption and cardiovascular risk. Public health nutrition. doi:10.1017/S1368980009992837Free full textPubMed 20025830DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error