addicted to peanuts

**8 winks** · Feb 10th, 2005, 03:10 PM

i seriously can not stop eating them. i am eating a rediculous ammount each day and while they are healthy and all, they have a lot of cals apparentlly cause since i started this habbit i've gained almost four lbs very quickly. since this is the only change in my diet they have got to be the culprit.

so i'm wondering, what exactly might i be craving(lacking) that i feel i NEED them so desperately? i concidered it may be protein so i have upped my tofu/fake meat

(blech)/and bean consumption...but that doesn't seem to help. i thought it might be fats so i have tried to substitute with more of that...but no matter what i keep wanting thses tasty little morsels. anyone know of a vitamin or something i might be missing that i could get in a alternative way? (i'm still gonna eat em...just fewer would be nice

)

PinkFluffyCloud · Feb 10th, 2005, 03:12 PM

You're not depressed, are you? They are a 'feel-good' food, maybe that's the problem?

**Korn** · Feb 10th, 2005, 04:51 PM

Peanuts contain a lot of protein and folate, among other things...

**8 winks** · Feb 10th, 2005, 06:28 PM

so as i sit here eating spinach reading your response korn, i decide to look up folate sources.... what'dya know. and this morning i freaked when i found some asparagus in our fridge ..... these guys are both good sources apparently... maybe i do just need folate!

which raises the question does ur body really produce cravings in response to deficiencies? what do u guys think?

(p.s. not depressed - maybe stressed tho)

**foxytina_69** · Feb 10th, 2005, 06:34 PM

i believe it does. apparently theres no 'science' to support this, but if i crave something, i eat the nutrient or vitamin found in that food, and i no longer crave it.

PinkFluffyCloud · Feb 10th, 2005, 06:41 PM

I believe so, too, Foxy - though sometimes I wonder when I crave cakes!! LOL

. But even that is usually when I am very tired so obviously need some extra energy, quickly!

**foxytina_69** · Feb 10th, 2005, 06:42 PM

i crave sweets and junkfood when im pmsing!

PinkFluffyCloud · Feb 10th, 2005, 06:43 PM

foxytina_69

i crave sweets and junkfood when im pmsing!

Sending Private Messages???

Oh, I get you, pre-period, yes, so do I!

**Korn** · Feb 10th, 2005, 08:30 PM

8 winks

which raises the question does ur body really produce cravings in response to deficiencies? what do u guys think?

I read about about a study once, that claimed that kids crave what they are deficient in (if they are living on an otherwise clean diet). I'm sorry, this isn't very scientific, I'll let you know if I find out where I saw this.

Since B12 is of particular interest for vegans, and folate actually have some of the same functions as B12, a folate craving could even suggest that you are low in B12 - it could mean that your homocysteine levels are high, and that your body 'knows' that both folate and B12 can reduce them. But now I'm talking about things that have little scientific basis: both folate and B12 is good for reduction of high homocysteine levels, but I don't know what cravings the body can 'offer you' if this is the case, or even if it is proven that cravings in healthy people are related to what they need. Lots of people have cravings for stuff they don't need at all.

Maybe you're just eating a LOT of carbohydrates and need to balance that out with some proteins. Or maybe just like peanuts.

I don't know how long you have been vegan - some people say that one can live on the B12 stored in your body the first years you are a vegan. This might be the case, but is also a potentially dangerous advice to give, because people might be low in B12 even before they go vegan. Lot's of people are.

Peanuts are also high in antioxidants. There's some more info on peanuts (which are not nuts, by the way) here.

**Mystic** · Feb 11th, 2005, 04:33 AM

8 winks, I go through phases with stuff ALL the time. At the moment, give me an endless supply of figs, and they will disappear like magic!

But before I started on the figs, I was craving yoghurt - then I learned that figs are high in calcium, and I no longer crave cow pus LOL

- Now I cannot stop shoving figs down my gob

. I get that with dates too - big gooey medjool dates.

**8 winks** · Feb 11th, 2005, 08:44 AM

Korn

- it could mean that your homocysteine levels are high, and that your body 'knows' that both folate and B12 can reduce them. URL]

i'm trying to look this term up..but don't get it yet. what are homocystine levels? it seems to have something to do with cholesteral and artery blockage! Gosh.... this is turning from a gee i like peanuts to the possibility of premature heart failure.............. okay i am a horrible hypochondriac...... but i wonder if i am at risk (did u see how i jumped on the folate bandwaggon?)
i am 22 now, i have been a vegetarian since 13 with the exception of a few odd months here and there of mental stupidity where i allowed convienece to influence my food choices

i try like hell to eat vegan but i must confess sometimes i eat regular chocolate cause I AM WEAK! I"M SO SORRY GUYS (that had to come out eventually. please don't be mad i am trying )
so yeah, peanuts.

**Korn** · Feb 11th, 2005, 02:00 PM

Hi 8 winks,

Homocysteine (hcy) levels are associated with heart disease among other things, but people still disagree about what is the cause and what is the effect. HCY levels are affected by many different things, for example stress, intake of coffee, alcohol, b12/folate levels and so on. If you worry about being deficient in something, just take a test. Most people don't have 'perfect' levels of every nutrient... Everybody is weak now & then, now need to worry!

Anyway, as there are no priests in here, so no need to confess, and being mad at some person on the net for eating an occasional chocolate with milk in would be wasting energy, wouldn't it. Most people in here do their best, and there's no gold medal to be won anyway

. If you worry about this, I guess it would be better to take some tests... Peanuts taste good, are pretty healthy in spite of the fats, and being addicted to foods can be related to habits or even psychological reasons, and doesn't prove that you're unhealthy.

If you feel healthy, there's a big chance that you're healthy. And if you don't feel healthy, it might be a good idea to try to improve your health, peanut addiction or not. Don't listen to supplement-fanatics... Linus Pauling (who got the Nobel Prices twice) insisted that very high intakes of vitamin C would prevent people to catch colds, but now, 10 years after his death, his own institute has documented that this was wrong!

B12 (cobalamin) needs special attention. In my opinion, all people should monitor their cobalamin levels in a proper way, and do whatever they need to do - if they need to.

Folate isn't a usually a problem for a normal person living on a varied, healthy diet (see below). Maybe it's a good idea to read more about whatever worries you, but try act instead of keep worrying, if needed.

And don't forget that there are lots of helpful and knowledgeable people in here that will help you if you have more questions, OK?

PS - here's what http://www.vegetarian-diet.info/vega...-nutrition.htm lists as good folate sources for vegans:

'Wheatgerm, raw/lightly-cooked green leafy vegetables (eg. broccoli, spinach), yeast, yeast extracts, nuts, peas, green 'runner beans', oranges, dates, avocados, whole grains.'

Here's what http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/pregnancy.htm writes about folate for pregnant vegan woman: "Folate is important even before you know you are pregnant, so all women of childbearing age should be getting at least 400µg (micrograms) per day. The need for folate increases in pregnancy, to 600µg per day. Dark leafy greens, whole grains, and orange juice are rich sources of folate. Vegan diets are often high in folate."

And no, I did not suggest that you are pregnant.

**Kiva Dancer** · Feb 11th, 2005, 07:14 PM

I think it's because peanuts are simply addicting.

I can pretty much eat a whole bag of unshelled, unsalted peanuts if I let myself.

But you mentioned that you've gained a bit of weight in a short time and the only change was diet. What about your activity level? Has it changed in any way?

Also, if I rememeber correctly, stress can do things to a person's weight including rise it. Your culprit might not be peanuts at all, but possibly the stress you're under.

Something to think about.