March 28, 2024

Bowlingual Dog

Animal Planet Directory

A Discussion on Whether Peanut Butter Is Good or Bad

 

Peanut butter is one of the most popular foods in the world and it is easy to see why. It is creamy, spreads easily, has a lovely texture and is absolutely delicious.

However, not everyone likes peanut butter or can even eat it. There are those who are allergic to peanuts, which means that peanut butter can potentially kill them.

So, What Exactly Is Peanut Butter Made of?

In most cases, peanut butter is made exactly how it sounds. The peanuts are roasted and then they are ground up until they form into a natural paste. When it comes to commercially produced peanut butter, many other ingredients are typically added such as vegetable oils, sugar, trans fat etc. As a result, it is better to buy peanut butter that is naturally made because these types only consist of peanuts and a little bit of salt for added taste.

Since peanut butter is basically ground peanuts, the effects of peanuts should be the same as peanut butter. As a result, that makes both peanuts and peanut butter a great source of protein.

Peanut butter is an excellent source of energy and it actually contains the 3 macro-nutrients that the body needs. Basically, 100 grams of peanut will have:

• Protein – 25 grams, which makes up 15{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the calories. This is a lot of protein, especially when compared to various other plant-based foods which have naturally less protein.
• Carbohydrates – 20 grams; this makes up 13{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the calories with fibre being 6{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of that percentage.
• Fat – 50 grams; this makes up the largest portion of calories at 72{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807}.

As you can see, peanut butter has a significant amount of protein; however, it doesn’t have much methionine which is an essential amino acid. This is because peanuts are a legume and these are known to have lower amounts of cysteine and methionine as opposed to meats or animal-based protein sources.

Also, peanut butter doesn’t have many carbohydrates at only 20{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807}, which makes it an excellent choice if you want to go on a low carb diet. Also, it is great for people who have type 2 diabetes since it does not cause much of a rise in blood sugar levels. According to various studies, women in particular who consume peanut butter 5 times for the week actually have a lowered risk for developing diabetes by 21{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807}.

Lots of Healthy Fats

As mentioned above, a 100 gram serving of peanut butter has 50 grams of fat which amounts to about 588 calories. This is quite a high number of calories; however, if you eat small to medium amounts of natural peanut butter, you can still lose weight. About 50{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the fat is actually made up of oleic acid which is also found in olive oil and it is a mono-saturated fat which is healthy for humans to consume. It also contains linoleic acid which is an omega 6 fatty acid that can be typically be found in various vegetable oils. It is important to note that consuming a large amount of omega 6 fatty acids can cause various chronic diseases and inflammation.

Peanut butter is a very nutritious food and it has large amounts of vitamins and minerals within a 100 gram portion. This portion contains:

  • Vitamin B6 – 27{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the RDA
  • Vitamin B3 – Niacin – 67{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the RDA
  • Vitamin E – 45{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the RDA
  • Magnesium – 39{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the RDA
  • Manganese – 73{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the RDA
  • Folate – 18{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the RDA
  • Copper – 24{4503aefa7ddfa01e1e970c0941188266224660382a0519f829aa77ca182ad807} of the RDA

Additionally, peanut butter has a high amount of biotin as well as iron, selenium, potassium, vitamin B5, zinc etc – all added efficiently in the liquid filling machines.

Important Note

Even though there are many benefits of consuming peanut butter, there are also a couple of negative aspects that have to be considered.
Peanut butter has an extremely high number of calories even though it is a good protein source and contains a good amount of nutrients, vitamins, fibre and minerals. Unfortunately, it also contains aflatoxins, which have numerous negative effects on the body over time.

As a result, you should not make peanut butter the largest part of your diet; however, you can eat it occasionally in limited portions. The main issue that plagues most people is that it is very difficult to resist. Fortunately, eating a moderate amount wouldn’t have a largely negative effect if you are careful to avoid bad foods such as processed snacks, soda, foods high in trans fats etc.