Know2eat

Peanut oil

Arachis hypogaea

What peanut oil has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About peanut oil

Oil pressed from peanuts, dominated by oleic and linoleic acids and prized in Chinese and Southern American cooking for its stability at frying temperature. Refined and aromatic roasted versions are very different products, and the difference is an allergy question, not just a flavour one.

Also known as Groundnut oil, Arachis oil

Heart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Some trials report lower LDL cholesterol when peanut oil replaces saturated fat, in line with other monounsaturated-rich oils. Most of the peanut research used whole peanuts or peanut butter, which supply fibre, protein and sterols the oil does not.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Peanut oil

Ask about Peanut oil

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories884 kcal44%
Protein0 g0%
Total fat100 g128%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water0 g—
Fats
Saturated fat16.9 g85%
Monounsaturated fat46.2 g—
Polyunsaturated fat32 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)32 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E15.7 mg105%
Vitamin K0.7 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0 mg0%
Riboflavin (B2)0 mg0%
Niacin (B3)0 mg0%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0 mg0%
Vitamin B60 mg0%
Folate0 µg0%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline0.1 mg0%
Minerals
Calcium0 mg0%
Iron0.03 mg0%
Magnesium0 mg0%
Phosphorus0 mg0%
Potassium0 mg0%
Sodium0 mg0%
Zinc0.01 mg0%
Copper0 mg0%
Selenium0 µg0%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Oil, peanut, salad or cooking (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171410).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • friedChanges oxidation products

    Oleic-rich oils generate fewer aldehydes than linoleic-rich oils at the same frying temperature, which is the technical case for using peanut oil in a deep fryer. The advantage disappears if the oil is reused many times.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Refined and unrefined peanut oil are not equivalent

    Highly refined peanut oil contains almost no peanut protein, and controlled challenge studies found it tolerated by peanut-allergic participants, which is why regulators exempt it from some allergen labelling. Cold-pressed, expeller-pressed, extruded and gourmet aromatic peanut oils retain protein and have caused reactions. Anyone with peanut allergy should regard unrefined peanut oil as unsafe and should not rely on a restaurant knowing which grade its fryer contains.

  • Worth knowing

    Aflatoxin in poorly stored peanuts

    Peanuts are a classic substrate for Aspergillus moulds and their aflatoxins. The toxin largely stays with the meal and is further reduced by refining, so oil is a much lower-risk route than the nut itself, but the crop-level problem is real and is a quality-control issue for cold-pressed oils.

  • Worth knowing

    Frying stability, within limits

    Its oleic-dominant profile and high smoke point make peanut oil a genuinely good frying medium, but repeated reuse still accumulates polar compounds and aldehydes. Commercial fryers monitor this; home cooks should discard oil that has darkened, thickened or started to smell fishy.