If you love to eat groundnut preparations, you can do it without any fear! Here's a quick run-down on all the goodness that Mother Nature packs into every single one of groundnut. Protein is vital for the growth, maintenance and repair of your body's tissues, and is one of the essential building blocks of all life. Groundnuts beat most snack foods when it comes to protein content. In fact, they have such a high protein content they're widely used as an alternative to meat in many vegetarian recipes. High cholesterol levels are a major concern for many people. But happily, groundnuts are 100% cholesterol-free!

According to the latest research, a diet rich in groundnut products can reduce your cholesterol, lower your risk of heart disease and provide protection against cancer. Dietary fiber is essential to the smooth functioning of your body's waste elimination process. Groundnuts have good dietary fiber content so they are very good for your digestion and your bowels. Groundnuts contain 13 different vitamins (including A, the B group, C and E) along with 26 essential trace minerals, including calcium and iron. Groundnuts also contain zinc, good for protecting brain function, and boron, which can help to maintain strong bones. However, groundnuts are high in calories, and so should not eat large quantities at one go. Also, it is wise to avoid them if you have a tendency to get kidney stones.

Sadly, some people (not many) can have allergic reactions to groundnuts. No-one currently knows what causes groundnut allergy. But what is known is that young children seem to be the most prone to it (or in other words, if you don't have a groundnut allergy early in your life it is very unlikely you will develop one as you grow older). As a result, current medical thinking is that the best way to ensure your child doesn't develop a groundnut allergy is not to expose them to groundnut products until at least the age of 3 or 4.

Groundnuts have a very low salt content - usually only 1.4 mg per 25 gm serve. So if salt (sodium) is a concern in your diet, you'll generally find that you can safely consume groundnuts without any ill effects. Groundnuts can help you lose weight by suppressing hunger naturally. Some nutritional researchers now believe that fat in the small intestine stimulates the release of a chemical transmitter that signals feelings of fullness to the brain, which in turn suppresses hunger. Modern science has now demonstrated that groundnuts are one of the most complete nutritional resources available. A bit of fun or just weird science? What your snack food preferences may say about your personality.

Dr Alan Hirsch, a Neurologist and Head of Chicago's Smell and Taste Center, USA, surveyed the habit of eating snacks of 800 volunteers in an attempt to connect their snack food preferences with their personality traits. Dr. Hirsch concluded that people who like to snack on groundnuts tend to be easy-going, empathetic, understanding, calm and have a very cool nature.