not a very nutritious nut. Much better nuts like almonds and cashews and brazils and pecans.

I disagree with the previous poster. Peanuts are actually, in my opinion, a very nutritious nut. Besides the ammount of vitamins and minerals, they have more protein per ounce than most other nuts, they are one of the lowest in carbs, and they recently have been shown to have as high, or higher antioxident activity than fruits or vegetables. Peanuts also have that unmistakable peanut taste. Yum *grins*

But....

Peanuts aren't technically a nut. They're in the legume family. I'm not sure whether they can be eaten raw (like peas) or require sprouting (like most other beans). I HAVE seen sprouting instructions in Concious Eating by Gabriel Cousens. He also has one or two recipes with peanuts as a topping in there.

Being legumes though, they can potentially be a hazard to the digestive system. Its been some time since I've read about the situation, but as memory serves (and with a quick refresher), some people who rely on diets made up largely of grains can develop a condition known as "leaky gut". What happens is that the grains cause fermentation in the intestine which leads to inflammation and weakening of the tight lining. This in turn allows for incompletely digested plant proteins, lectins, to pass into the body from the intestine. These lechtins in turn are attacked by the body, often mistaking the lectins for diseases. Overtime this leads to autoimmune disorders of various kinds, from arthritis to MS. Grain lectins are the worst hazards to the body if they get through, but beans can be a problem also. To cover all bases some people, especially those trying to recover from (or with family history for) autoimmune problems, will cut out legumes as well, at least until their gut heals, and then only include them sparringly.

To my knowledge, the studies, and annecdotal research done in regards to leaky gut have been largely with people eating processed or whole grains. I don't know what difference sprouting might have for grains/beans/peanuts.

Peanuts also tend to be highly allergenic to many people, as well as likely candidates for mold. I know the latter is at least one reason why you won't find peanuts in Gabriel Cousens' latest recipe book, Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine.

I'm toying with the idea of mixing blood type diet theory with raw foods after my fast, and my blood type (A+) supposedly benefits greatly from peanuts. Ironically I've loved peanuts and peanut butter since birth. So, if you know a place for ordering raw peanuts, please share?