Peanut butter is a thick paste of roasted, grounded peanuts. Often people who love eating peanuts like eating peanut butter too. The moment it melts into your mouth, you can feel its deliciousness whether eaten on its own or spread on a piece of bread.
Whenever you consume something, please think about whether it is healthy for you or not. And whatever you intake, you must know how it affects your body and its functioning. The taste should not be the priority to consume anything.
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Is Peanut Butter Good For You?
When we talk about whether peanut butter is good for you or not, the exact answer to the question is ‘ YES’. Peanut butter is healthy for you and has various benefits for your body such as:
1. Weight Loss
A vital benefit of peanut butter to your health is that it helps you lose or maintain weight. People struggling to shed those extra pounds can incorporate peanut butter into their diet in an adequate amount.
Peanuts contain ample fiber and protein that help you keep full for a long time, serving as a satiety agent. People who want to lose weight must consume it daily in an optimal amount.
You can consume peanut butter in the morning for breakfast. It can help you keep full. To eat it, you can use bread or an apple that makes it even tastier.
2. Heart Health
Peanuts contain nutrients, such as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), niacin, magnesium, and vitamin E. All these nutrients are healthy for your heart. They can boost your heart health. People having cardiovascular diseases can incorporate peanuts in an optimal amount in their diet.
Peanut butter can also help increase good cholesterol levels and lower bad cholesterol levels. These factors can, in turn, help promote heart health and also lower blood pressure.
According to experts, consuming peanuts is a cost-effective way to prevent heart diseases. Therefore if you are diagnosed with it, please make sure to consume it daily in an adequate amount.
Peanut butter can also help control weight gain or shed extra pounds- making it even more desirable for a patient with heart disease. However, whatever you consume, make sure to do that in an optimal amount. Anything consumed in excess can damage your health, and peanut butter is no different.
Peanut butter, if consumed too much, can lead to weight gain because it is high in calories- which can become bad for your health. Moreover, it contains fats and sodium that can harm your heart health. Therefore, consuming peanut butter can help you remain healthy and reap its benefits.
3. Bodybuilding
To build muscles, you need to consume a high-protein diet. Since peanuts contain a high amount of protein, they benefit bodybuilders who have to build muscle mass. Peanut butter will give you healthy calories. Therefore you can easily incorporate it into your diet.
4. Blood Glucose Levels
Peanut butter contains low amounts of carbohydrates with ample fiber, protein, and fats. Therefore diabetic patients can consume it as it will not spike their blood glucose levels.
It would be best to choose non-sweetened peanut butter if you have diabetes. So it will not have a significant effect on your blood glucose levels.
Peanut butter also contains a high amount of magnesium which is beneficial for diabetic people. When blood sugar levels remain high for a long time, your magnesium levels can get low. Therefore, consuming peanut or peanut butter is a good option to replenish it.
Peanut Butter Nutritional Information
According to Healthline, a 2-tablespoon (32-gram) serving of peanut butter contains:
| Type | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Calories | 188 |
| Total fat | 16 grams |
| Saturated fat | 3 grams |
| Carbs | 7 grams |
| Fiber | 3 grams |
| Protein | 8 grams |
| Manganese | 29% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) |
| Magnesium | 13% of the RDI |
| Phosphorus | 10% of the RDI |
| Potassium | 7% of the RDI |
| Vitamin E | 10% of the RDI |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | 22% of the RDI |
| Vitamin B6 | 7% of the RDI |
| Vitamin B9 (folate) | 7% of the RDI |
Peanut butter is a good source of magnesium, manganese, vitamin B6, and vitamin B3 (niacin). It also contains ample copper that helps build the immune system, bone health, and blood vessels. According to some experts, getting enough copper can also help lower the risks of osteoporosis and heart diseases.
Who Should Avoid Peanut Butter?
If you have a documented allergy to peanuts, you must avoid consuming peanut butter, even if it is a small quantity. It is better not to bring it into your home if someone has a peanut allergy, especially the kids. They are not sensible enough to know about allergies, and they may consume them, causing their health to deteriorate.
Among nut allergies, peanut allergy is quite common. Many people are allergic to peanuts. The symptoms of peanut allergy are:
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- Swelling of the face and mouth
- Heart palpitations
If you experience these symptoms upon consuming peanuts or peanut butter, you must visit the emergency department soon as it can be a life-threatening condition.
The Bottom Line
Peanut butter doesn’t just taste good, but it has incredible benefits for your health. You can consume unsweetened peanut butter if you have diabetes. Peanut butter also helps in reducing bad cholesterol levels. Therefore it is beneficial for people with cardiac diseases.
If you want to lose weight, peanut butter is an excellent option to incorporate into your diet. But whatever you consume should be in an optimal amount. Therefore it is advised not to overconsume peanut butter.
