Peanut butter is a relatively unprocessed food product. It’s just nuts, often roasted and ground to a paste-like consistency. Most often, these are peanuts, but over the last few years, due to the growing awareness of consumers and the demand for valuable products, a lot of types of peanut butter have appeared on the market. At the moment, you can buy peanut butter from almost any nut, starting with peanuts, through cashews, and ending with even chestnuts.
Peanut butter food composition
Real peanut butter should have a very simple composition it should only be nuts. However, this is not entirely true of many commercial peanut butter brands. They may contain various added ingredients such as sugar, vegetable oils, trans fats, and flavor enhancers. Consuming too much sugar and trans fat is linked to a variety of health conditions, such as heart and circulatory disease. Instead of buying processed foods with lots of additives, it’s best to opt for peanut butter, the ingredients of which are only nuts and possibly a pinch of salt.
Low carbohydrate content
Pure peanut butter contains about 20% carbohydrates. It also causes a very low rise in blood sugar, making them a good option for people with type 2 diabetes. Regular consumption of peanut butter has been linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long term. The benefits are partly attributed to oleic acid, one of the main fats in peanuts. The high content of antioxidants also plays a very important role in the prevention of many diseases.
The high content of healthy fats
Because peanut butter is very high in fat, there are 597 calories in a 100-gram portion. Despite the high caloric content, eating moderate amounts of pure peanut butter or whole peanuts is highly recommended during a slimming diet.
Because peanut butter is high in heart-healthy fats and a good source of protein, it can be a good option for vegetarians or those following a plant-based diet. Half of the fat in peanut butter is made up of oleic acid, a healthy type of monounsaturated fat that is also found in high amounts of olive oil.
Oleic acid has been linked to several health benefits, such as increased insulin sensitivity. Peanut butter also contains linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid found in most vegetable oils.
Be careful with peanut butter
Many good things come from consuming peanut butter, but there is a catch. The product itself is very rich in nutrients and is a decent source of protein and valuable fats. It’s also loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, although that doesn’t seem so significant when you consider the high-calorie content in proportion to the recommended serving size.
It’s good to include some peanut butter in a healthy diet, but the main problem with peanut butter is that it’s incredibly hard to resist, making it very easy to consume too many calories.
Moderate consumption of peanut butter will not have any negative effects. If possible, it is more important to avoid sugary sodas, trans fats, and other highly processed foods.
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