Peanuts actually grow underground, as opposed to nuts like walnuts, almonds, etc. that grow on trees (and are sometimes referred to as "tree nuts"). Peanuts, along with beans and peas, belong to the single plant family, Leguminosae. Legumes are edible seeds enclosed in pods.

Do peanuts grow underground True or false?

Many people are surprised to learn that peanuts do not grow on trees like pecans or walnuts. Peanuts are legumes, not nuts.

When it comes to eating peanuts and any peanut product, including peanut butter and peanut oil, the research is clear: peanuts improve your health.

Daily Facts

Peanut Health and Nutrition Research

<ul><li>Neurons activated in the gut are activated when sugar, fatty acids, and amino acids are present</li><li>Nerve cells in the gut are collecting information about what’s there and send that information up to the brain</li><li>Neuropod cells sense nutrients, particularly sugar, which activates areas of the brain that cause you to seek out more of that food</li><li>The selective preference for seeking out sweet foods occurs even if you can’t taste the food and it is injected straight into the gut</li><li>The gut can detect the difference between sweet things that contain calories and things that do not (artificial sweeteners)</li></ul>

Brain-Gut Connection & Its Role In Taste

<ul><li>Fluid balance: salt regulates how much fluid you desire and how much you excrete</li><li>Salt appetite: you crave salty things when salt stores are low and avoid salt when stores are high</li><li>Nutrient appetite: salt regulates appetite for sugar, carbohydrates, and other nutrients</li><li>Scientifically, table salt and sodium are not the same things – one gram of table salt contains 388 mg of sodium</li></ul>

General Functions Of Salt

The blood-brain barrier prevents substances from entering the brain unless those substances are very small or required for brain function – but there are special areas (organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis; OVLT) that monitor salt and osmolarity sense contents of blood and salt levelsOVLT detects changes to salt levels in bloodstream and sends signaling cascades accordingly – thirst, regulation of blood pressure, kidney function, secretion of salt

Functions Of Salt In The Brain

<ol><li>Osmotic thirst (concentration of salt in the bloodstream); </li><li>Hypovolemic thirst (thirst related to drop in blood pressure)</li></ol>The cascades are set off for concentrations of both high and low sodium in the blood.<ul><li>Osmotic and hypovolemic thirst are not just about seeking water – they’re also about seeking salt which can help retain water</li><li>Sodium engages the action potential, which is the firing of electrical signals by neurons</li><li>If you ingest too much water (this requires A LOT of water), you will actually kill yourself because you’ll disrupt the body’s ability to communicate, brain, and neurons</li></ul>

Types of thirst

<ul><li>The kidneys are responsible for retaining and releasing substances in the body such as glucose, amino acids, urea, uric acids, salt, potassium, etc.</li><li>Very general mechanism: blood enters the kidney and responds to hormonal signals to make mechanical or chemical changes to retain or release substances accordingly</li><li>Your urine is filtered blood!</li><li>Vasopressin: anti-diuretic which prevents urination by increasing permeability of distal tubes</li><li>Water follows salt: the kidney holds on to water in the body when it needs salt</li><li>When estrogen levels are high, there’s water retention</li></ul>

Kidneys: It’s a complicated, highly contextual balance between hormones, salt, and fluid

<ul><li>Blood pressure is in part regulated by sodium intake and sodium balance</li><li>An increase in sodium could help combat symptoms of low blood pressure</li><li>Historically, we’ve been taught that a high salt diet may be consequential for brain function</li><li>However, high salt diets are likely related to other unhealthy factors like processed foods, poor balance of carbohydrate and fat, etc.</li><li>A high salt diet can have detrimental health consequences – but – a very low salt diet can also have deleterious health events</li></ul>

Blood Pressure And Salt Intake

<ul><li>There’s a direct relationship between the stress system (glucocorticoid system) and the salt craving system</li><li>Bringing sodium in the body counteracts or resists stressors in our lives</li><li>If sodium is too low, our ability to combat stressors is impaired</li><li>If you’re feeling anxious, slightly increasing sodium intake can stabilize blood pressure and ability to lean into stressors and challenges</li><li>Additional sodium intake is naturally stimulated by stress</li></ul>

Mental & Physical Aspects Of Cravings For Sodium

Sodium and potassium work closely together in the body. Recommended ratios of sodium to potassium vary widely<ul><li>Diet is an important contextual element to your ideal sodium-potassium ratio</li><li>Low carb dieters excrete more water so lose sodium and potassium at a higher rate and may need to adjust dietary intake accordingly</li><li>If you are time-restricted eating or fasting you may want to consider increasing electrolytes if you ingest caffeine since caffeine is a diuretic</li><li>Rule of thumb: for every ounce of caffeine, drink 1.5x as much water with a touch of sodium</li></ul>

Other Related Minerals: Potassium

<ul><li>There’s some evidence that supplementing with magnesium malate can reduce muscle soreness</li><li>Mangesium threonate may promote transition into sleep and cognitive function</li><li>Magnesium bisglycinate is an alternative for magnesium threonate as far as the transition to sleep, but no studies have been done on cognitive function</li><li>Magnesium citrate is an effective laxative</li></ul>

Other Related Minerals: Magnesium

Conscious and unconscious salt intake and sensing modulate cravings for sugar, water, and other things have a direct relationship between the stress system (glucocorticoid system) and the salt craving system if you’re feeling anxious or stressed.

I discuss the role of salt (sodium) in the nervous system and the key role that it plays in mental performance, physical performance and health. I explain how the brain senses salt levels in our body and how that relates to our feelings of thirst. I cover the physiology of the renal system and the hormones that control sodium and water balance in our body. I also explore how salt interacts with stress and our immune systems and its crucial role in neuron function. Additionally, I examine research findings suggesting that some individuals might benefit from increased intake of sodium and other electrolytes (magnesium and potassium) to enhance mental performance, lessen anxiety, and offset dizziness. Yet, other people may need less sodium. I discuss how you can determine your optimal sodium intake and why sodium intake levels need to be uniquely tailored to an individual’s lifestyle. Finally, I explain how salt creates ‘hidden’ sugars in many processed foods and the problems that can create. Throughout the episode, I explain peer-reviewed findings outlining salt’s essential role in overall health and describe general recommendations and tools anyone can use to find their optimal salt balance and thereby enhance their brain and body’s performance. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman See Andrew Huberman Live: The Brain Body Contract Tuesday, May 17th: Seattle, WA Wednesday, May 18th: Portland, OR https://hubermanlab.com/tour Our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman Supplements from Thorne https://www.thorne.com/u/huberman For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Timestamps (00:00:00) Role of Salt  (00:02:18) The Brain-Body Contract  (00:02:57) Neuropod Cells, Artificial Sweeteners & ‘Hidden’ Cravings  (00:10:57) AG1 (Athletic Greens), LMNT, InsideTracker  (00:15:06) Salt Regulation  (00:17:13) How the Brain Senses Salt (00:24:15) Salt & Thirst  (00:29:27) Blood Pressure & Thirst  (00:33:47) Kidneys & Urine Regulation (00:39:08) Vasopressin: Roles in Libido & Urination  (00:45:46) How Much Salt Do You Need?  (00:56:45) Should You Increase Your Salt Intake?  (01:02:19) Tools: Determining Your Individual Salt Intake (01:14:02) Iodine, Sea Salt  (01:17:13) Salt: Roles in Stress & Anxiety  (01:24:20) Other Electrolytes: Magnesium & Potassium  (01:27:57) Tools: Effects of Low-carbohydrate Diets & Caffeine  (01:32:28) General Recommendations for Salt Intake  (01:36:34) Perception of Salt & Sugar Taste, Processed Foods  (01:47:13) Role of Sodium in Neuronal Function, Action Potentials  (01:53:13) Dehydration  (01:55:36) What Salt Intake is Best for You?  (02:00:58) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify, Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Patreon, Thorne, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter  Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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Using Salt to Optimize Mental & Physical Performance | Episode 63

In short, yes: There is such a thing as drinking too much water.<ul><li>Kidneys can excrete up to 28 liters of fluid in a day, but only one liter an hour. Drinking more than this can lead to water intoxication and electrolyte imbalances.</li><li>Doing so can dilute the sodium in their bodies, resulting in a condition called hyponatremia (this happens mostly to athletes).</li></ul>

Is it possible to drink too much water?

<ul><li>If you're wondering how much water you should drink each day, you're not alone, as the varying advice can get confusing. </li><li>Staying properly hydrated means taking in roughly 30 to 50 ounces of water, and doing so periodically throughout the day. </li><li>Hydration includes water from drinks, but also from water-rich or 'wet' snacks like fruit and vegetables.</li></ul>

How much water you should drink per day

It is possible to drink too much water, MDs say, but how much water is too much? Here's how to tell if you're drinking too much water, the risks, and how to treat it.

Hydration Is Essential, but Can You Drink Too Much Water?

Having something sweet when we are feeling low, like a piece from a box of dark chocolates instantly uplifts our mood. Apart from the nutritious benefits of eating food, there are many psychological, physiological and motivational effects on us, both positive and negative.
Example: Carbonated beverages, like a can of diet coke, can evoke aggressive reactions, especially in people who have a history of aggression or violence.

Chocolate Uplifts Our Mood

An elaborate, three part study to check the relationship between the spiciness of food to the aggression that is exhibited afterwards revealed that we are in fact what we eat, and are bound to be agitated or irritated after eating hot and spicy foods.

Food Makes Us Who We Are

Our Gastrointestinal tract has billions of bacteria, and the food we consume alters our gut health, changing the balance of good and bad bacteria. Our mood regulators, which control our aggression, cognition, mood, sleep and anxiety are actually located in our gut.Eating sugary treats produces feel-good and feel-happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin, proving that food is directly associated with emotions, comfort, pain, motivation and concentration.

Our Second Brain: The Gut

We should consume foods that elevate our mood and promote good bacteria in our stomach. Yogurt, kimchi, fresh veggies and fruits are foods that you can use to lighten your mood and body.If there is a need to be fighting fit, like before a debate starts, consuming spicy stuff is a good idea, especially when confronting an aggressive opponent!

The Right Food Choices

Research shows that there is a direct correlation between spicy foods and aggression.

Weirdly True: We Are What We Eat

One of the oldest foods in the world, salt is not as much a flavour in itself as it is an enhancer, bringing out the flavors in all kinds of foods. It makes noodles, watermelon, meat, and all other kinds of food taste richer and generally better.
Humans crave salt as it has the chemicals we need to survive in the ionic compound composed of sodium and chlorine.

Salt: The Flavour Potentiator

Salt is harvested from ocean water, and now increasingly from salt mines, like the Himalayan Pink Salt mine called Khewra in Pakistan. Salt is mined much like coal, with explosives and excavations.
All salt is essentially sodium chloride, and it originates from the oceans and seas, even when it is harvested from caves. Salt is a mineral and if no anti-caking agents are added to it, is sometimes labeled as organic, which is not accurate as it isn’t an organically grown substance.

All About Salt

Drying the ocean or sea water is a universal way of extracting sea salt, though the french method of retaining some moisture gives it a softer consistency. 
Sea salt is also harvested from ponds and is generally from the bottom depths known as oeillets. The french method prefers harvesting from the surface, with some variants having larger crystals.

Sea Salt

A dried variant of sea-salt, hawaiian salt is dried using lava beds, giving it a brick-like (red Hawaiian salt) or darker (black Hawaiian Salt) color.
Charcoal is also added to normal sea salt to produce the same effect, and a similar color does not guarantee a similar process of extraction.

Hawaiian Salt

The standard cubic crystal salt is known as table salt, with the small and even crystals making it flow from the container easily.
This popular salt may have added anti-caking agents like silicon dioxide or dextrose so that the salt is not clumpy. Iodine is generally added to table salt, and according to medical science, is an important nutrient.

Table Salt

A non-iodine salt, Kosher salt is of a larger and fluffier shape, which makes it stick to the food it is sprinkled on and detonate it’s flavour. The large crystals of this salt are used to ‘kosher’ meat according to Jewish laws, hence the name.
Many varieties of kosher salt contain a bit of anti-caking agents like yellow prussiate soda, or sodium ferrocyanide (I would skip that!)

Kosher Salt

This salt is mined from Pakistan and is pinkish in color, and is marketed in an exotic manner, adding to its appeal. The natural pink color glows, and all other properties remain the same as sea-salt.

Himalayan Pink Salt

<ul>
<li>Flake Salt: Pyramid-shaped crystals make this salt brittle and crunchy.</li>
<li>Slab Salt: Slabs of Himalayan pink salt are used to serve food, as they retain the heat well. These salt trays are usually the mined slabs of pink salt.</li>
<li>Rock Salt: This salt has uses in ice-cream making and in retaining dry ice, due to its rocky, chunky shape. It is also used to melt ice on the roads.</li>
<li>Pickling Salt: A fine salt with smaller crystals, this variety is free from anti-caking agents and iodine.</li>
<li>Kala Namak: Also known as black salt, this indian variety of salt has traces of copper and caramel, and tastes a bit like overcooked boiled eggs, or even rotten eggs.</li>
<li>Infused/Seasoned Salts: Various smoked and seasoned salts are in the market providing infusions, flavours and colors like saffron, garlic, vanilla, various kinds of herbs. They are able to blend well, as salt is a preservative in itself.</li>
</ul>

Different Kinds Of Salt

Everything you need to know about the vast and varied world of edible salt, including the differences between all the types of salt you'll see on the market.

Peanut Health and Nutrition Research

Using Salt to Optimize Mental & Physical Performance | Episode 63

Hydration Is Essential, but Can You Drink Too Much Water?

Weirdly True: We Are What We Eat

A Guide to Salt, the World’s Most Popular Food

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