🌿 Folk Prescriptions

"Eat peanuts with their red skin" is widely known—this thin red outer layer offers many health benefits. Yet some claim "elderly people should avoid peanuts, or if eating, must remove the red skin." What exactly are the "powers" of this thin red skin? Is it suitable for everyone?
The blood-nourishing and hemostatic effects of peanuts primarily come from the red skin. Peanuts are globally recognized as healthy food; in China, they rank among the "Top Ten Longevity Foods." TCM believes peanuts regulate the spleen and stomach, nourish blood, stop bleeding, lower blood pressure and lipids. The "blood-nourishing and hemostatic" effect mainly comes from the red skin.<U>TCM</U> theory holds that "the spleen governs blood." Those with qi deficiency easily bleed. Since peanut red skin tonifies spleen qi, it achieves blood-nourishing and hemostatic effects—known as "tonifying qi to stop bleeding" in TCM. Western medicine finds peanut red skin inhibits fibrinolysis, increases platelet count, improves platelet quality, corrects clotting factor defects, enhances capillary contraction, and stimulates bone marrow hematopoiesis. Thus, it shows clear efficacy for various bleeding disorders and anemia caused by bleeding, including aplastic anemia.
Women especially should eat peanut red skin regularly. Women, particularly during menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, and lactation, lose more blood and nutrients. Peanut red skin greatly benefits them by nourishing and replenishing blood. Additionally, it promotes hair growth and darkens hair. TCM believes "hair is a byproduct of blood." Hair loss and graying result from blood deficiency depriving hair of nourishment. Peanut red skin nourishes blood, thus making hair blacker and shinier.
Some reports suggest "due to peanut red skin's ability to enhance coagulation, it may not suit those with high blood viscosity, risking thrombosis." However, this view is not widely accepted. Most experts believe red skin promotes platelet production, prevents platelet aggregation, and may help prevent cardiovascular diseases—the leading cause of death in the elderly. Generally, people eat peanuts with skin intact. Peanuts contain unsaturated fatty acids, lowering blood lipids and cholesterol, reducing coronary heart disease risk, preventing platelet aggregation, and blocking thrombus formation.
Those with bruises and swelling from injuries should avoid peanut red skin. Even the best foods aren't suitable for everyone. Elderly people shouldn’t eat peanuts without caution. For example, those with bruising and swelling from trauma should avoid it—red skin stops bleeding and promotes coagulation, which could worsen blood stasis and swelling. Others with poor digestion ("weak spleen, loose stools") should avoid peanuts because they contain abundant oil, which has a laxative effect, worsening diarrhea. Also, since peanuts are high in fat, they require more bile for digestion. Thus, elderly people who have had gallbladder removal or suffer from serious gallbladder disease should avoid excessive peanut consumption. Zhang Qian, Jinan Workers' Hospital