A question that I am frequently asked is whether peanuts are “okay” or “safe” to eat. The question usually stems from someone who enjoys peanut butter (and there is no replacement, let’s be honest) but has read a lot of conflicting information on the internet and doesn’t know what to think. The idea that peanuts are unhealthy for those without a peanut allergy stems from the canonical paleo diet concept that legumes should be avoided because (1) they aren’t part of our ancestral diet, and (2) they contain toxic anti-nutrients such as lectins and phytic acid.
I’m not going to spend time debating the legume issue because I personally don’t find it very relevant. To me it is a red herring that is brought up by individuals who don’t have an answer specific to peanuts. Moreover, it is a vast overgeneralization to say that one particular legume is unhealthy because some may be harmful. This idea is easily illustrated with simple reduction ad absurdum. If peanuts are unhealthy because they are a legume and some legumes may be harmful, then it would be equally as valid to claim that olive oil is unhealthy because it is a fat and some fats (e.g. trans-fats) may be harmful. Similarly, perhaps we should avoid eating mushrooms altogether because there are some toxic varieties.
