# Is it safe to eat peanut shells? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708 "2005-02-18T14:16:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/1 "2005-02-18T14:16:59Z")
Ever since I was a child, when I would get a bag of peanuts I would always munch on a few with the shell included. There’s just something about the saltiness combined with that texture that I found tasty. I still do this to this day and my friends and family not only find this disgusting and odd but they tell my that it’s horrible for my intestines. I disagree with them but none of us have any facts to back up our positions. I have to mention that I don’t eat peanuts that often, and when I do it’s just maybe five or six shells that I ingest. Is this really bad for me? I’ve never become ill from this so what’s the harm? ---
**Author:** ![Humanist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@Humanist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humanist)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/2 "2005-02-18T14:38:56Z")
Anecdotal evidence: Here in the South, we have these things called “boiled peanuts”. While I am not the sort to enjoy them (I have a very slight allergy), they are considered a practical delicacy in my region. Some people eat them with the shells, and some people eat without them. Wars have been fought over the proper way to crunch on a boiled peanut. However, I’ve heard of no cases of acute hospitalization from instestinal blockage by peanut shells, and I have several family members and friends who work in local hospitals. Of course, this doens’t prove that they aren’t harmful… as I said, just an anecdote. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/3 "2005-02-18T14:58:19Z")
I always figured, like eating the stems of spinach leaves and whatnot, (which I also enjoy) that I’m just increasing my fiber intake. Nothing wrong with that I would think. I’m starting to wonder if my great grandmother was a giraffe. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/4 "2005-02-18T15:04:02Z")
A cup a day, and 3KG of fiber! You’ll be regular, but I can’t imagine that it’d cause you all that much harm. As long as you aren’t swallowing them whole, or in huge chunks. Once wet, the shells get pretty soft. I’ll take just the insides though, but that’s the Yankee in me talking. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/5 "2005-02-18T15:07:22Z")
I could swear that I’ve read several times in the past that peanut shells are safe to eat (I do it all the time), but I can’t find a more conclusive cite than [this one](http://www.seven-creeks.com/id581.htm), in which Betsy from Virginia Carolina Peanut Promotions says a “food scientist friend” assured her that the shells are okay. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/6 "2005-02-18T15:21:12Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > A cup a day, and 3KG of fiber! > > You’ll be regular, but I can’t imagine that it’d cause you all that much harm. As long as you aren’t swallowing them whole, or in huge chunks. Once wet, the shells get pretty soft. > > I’ll take just the insides though, but that’s the Yankee in me talking. I’m a yank myself albeit a yank with very odd tastes. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/7 "2005-02-18T15:27:03Z")
I eat the shells and I’m still alive. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/8 "2005-02-18T16:19:20Z")
**Cecil Adams** on [Why does the peanut bag say, “Remove shell before consuming nutmeats”?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_102b.html) It’s not exactly the most compelling response Cecil has provided. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/9 "2005-02-18T16:39:27Z")
> [@Cecil's column](#): > > They tell of one character who ate an entire eight-ounce package of sunflower seeds, shells and all, and suffered an obstructed colon as a result. Holy… crap! Apparently I took my life into my hands when I ate the sixteen-ounce bag of sunflower seeds, shells and all, over the course of a day. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-eat-peanut-shells/290708/10 "2005-02-18T20:43:36Z")
> [@lno](#): > > Holy… crap! I suspect that the problem was due to a _lack_ of holes in the crap. Less like a sponge. More like a brick.