Nothing captures the nutty-buttery tastes of peanuts the way peanut butter does! Peanut butter on toast is a favorite snack or breakfast among children and adults.
Children eat peanut butter because of its taste, but most adults eat it for good health and weight loss. Sadly, people allergic to peanuts cannot enjoy peanut butter as it could be deadly for them. But is it healthy for others?
Well, the question is legitimate because most of us eat peanut butter every day. And you should know everything about what you consume because some of them can cause damage to you internally, which you will notice after a long time.
Do you want to know if the peanut butter you eat regularly is good for your health or not? Go on and read the full article to get the need-to-know info on Peanut butter.
What is Peanut Butter?
Peanut butter is unprocessed food made by grounding the roasted peanuts until it turns into a paste.
However, many kinds of peanut butter available in the market include other ingredients, such as sugar, chocolate, vegetable oils, trans fat, and salt.
Before buying peanut butter, you should read the label, and we suggest you purchase that includes only peanuts and salt (chocolate is also acceptable for children). Vegetable oils, sugar, and trans-fat can reduce the nutritional value of peanut butter.
Peanut butter is a good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Manganese, Magnesium, Copper, and Niacin (B3). Two tbsp. of peanut butter includes:
- 207 calories
- 9 grams Protein
- 18 grams fat
- 6 grams Carbohydrates
- 3 grams fiber
- 1 gram sugar
So far, the ingredients are nothing unhealthy. However, the amount can slightly vary from one manufacturer to another. Let’s have a look at the benefits peanut butter offers!
Health Benefits of Peanut Butter
Some studies have shown that consuming peanut butter every day can reduce the overall risk of death by 21%. Woah, impressive! Here are the health benefits of Peanut Butter.
Improved Heart Health
Oleic Acid is one of the primary fats included in Peanut butter. It helps maintains cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels. Good maintenance of such levels reduces the risk of heart diseases.
Also, peanut butter contains Omega-3 fatty acids that reduce the bad cholesterol and increase the protective cholesterol.
Reduces the Risk of Diabetes
Peanut butter contains more than just vitamins and minerals. They are high in antioxidants such as P-coumaric Acid and resveratrol.
All the antioxidants, oleic Acid with omega-3, maintains the sugar level and reduces the risk of diabetes. It is also beneficial for Type-2 diabetic people.
Helps Weight Loss
Peanut butter contains healthy fats, proteins, and fiber, due to which it takes a longer time to digest in our body. It means that they are in our stomach for a longer time which keeps us feel fuller.
Therefore, you eat it less, and it helps reduce the risk of obesity and weight gain. So, if you are trying to lose weight, then you can eat peanut butter.
Helps Prevent Cancer
The antioxidants present in peanut butter also help prevent cancer. How? Antioxidants act to prevent and repair the cell damage, and it helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cancer.
Peanut butter is an excellent source of coumaric Acid and resveratrol, which have anti-cancer properties.
Keep Your Brain Healthy
Peanut butter is rich in healthy fats, Vitamin B, and Vitamin E, essential for our brain health. Many studies have also shown that eating peanut butter every day can increase learning ability, memory and improve cognition.
Peanuts are also rich in niacin that helps to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (brain disease).
So, overall, peanut butter is healthy for both children and adults, and it helps to maintain cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels.
Now, let’s see if peanut butter can cause any side effects.
Side Effects of Peanut Butter
Although peanut butter is rich in nutrients, it contains a high amount of calories and fats. Most of them are healthy fats, but some of them are unhealthy too.
Also, some peanut butter contains additives such as vegetable oils and sugar that can lead to various side effects if consumed excessively. Let’s have a look at them.
High Cholesterol Level
Naturally-made peanut butter contains unsaturated fat, but commercial peanut butter has lots of saturated fats. It can lead to high cholesterol levels if eaten in excess amounts.
Weight Gain and Obesity
Despite being beneficial to lose weight, peanut butter is also associated with weight gain and obesity.
It is healthy but only as a part of a balanced diet. You should eat it in moderation, especially if you are trying to lose weight.
Inflammation and Pain
Surprisingly, peanuts are not nuts! They come under the legumes family and are closely related to peas. So, like legumes, peanuts contain lectin protein.
Lectin is an inflammatory agent and causes pain in people with autoimmune disorders. Also, it has no nutritional value; therefore, excess peanut butter consumption can cause inflammation and pain in our bodies.
Peanut Allergy
If you are allergic to peanuts, then please avoid peanut butter. In some instances, it has proved to be deadly for peanut-allergic people. So, be careful while eating peanut butter.
Overall, peanut butter has side effects if eaten in excess amount.
Is It Ok to Eat Peanut Butter Regularly?
Yes, it is excellent to eat peanut butter regularly. It provides numerous health benefits on consuming daily. Also, the side effects can get easily reduced if you eat peanut butter in moderation.
The recommended dosage for peanut butter is two tablespoons of peanut butter a day. It will provide you enough vitamins, healthy fats and carbohydrates, and nutrients for your body.
The Bottom Line
Peanut butter is a rare combination of a healthy and tasty diet. It is suitable for both children and adults, and you can eat it whenever you want. However, keep in mind the following tips:
- Do not eat peanut butter if you are allergic to peanuts.
- Two tablespoons of peanut butter per day are more than enough.
- Buy peanut butter with no additives such as sugar, vegetable oil, or trans-fat. (Chocolate and salt are ok)
Here we end our article! Do you like peanut butter? And why do you eat it for taste or good health? Please share your answers in the comment box.
