Peanut butter is a food paste that is made out of peanuts. Dry roasted peanuts are processed and converted into a paste-like form. The manufacturers add a few ingredients to enhance the peanut butter's taste and texture. Salt, artificial sweeteners or emulsifiers are added to the peanuts to enrich the flavour of the peanuts.
Peanut butter provides various essential minerals, vitamins and a good amount of protein. In general, Peanut butter contains 7 g of protein per serving. Peanut butter also contains 3 g of saturated fat per serving. Peanut butter is just like other kinds of nut butter.
The United States of America is the global leader in exporting peanut butter and one of the largest consumers of peanut butter.
Even though peanut butter is a processed food, it is high in high nutrients, protein, vitamins and dietary minerals. Usually, peanut butter is consumed as a spread on bread toast or used to make various sandwiches. The peanut butter flavour is a globally popular flavour that is used in smoothies, cookies, brownies, etc.
Types of peanut butter
The original peanut butter is obtained by making a paste of the raw peanuts, usually natural or organic. Other than that, peanut butter is generally classified into two main types — crunchy or smoothy. These crunchy and extra smooth versions are widely available in the commercial market.
The production of peanut butter involves the following process.
- First, peanuts are planted and harvested in the spring season.
- Then the peanuts are deshelled. This process of deshelling must be done carefully to avoid damage to nuts.
- Then, the manufacturers dry roast the peanuts in large quantities for about an hour.
- Once the peanuts are dry roasted, they are removed from the oven and placed in a cooling cylinder. By doing so, some oil and moisture are retained.
- After roasting, the skin of the peanuts are removed. It is then steamed and sent into the grinding machine.
- In the grinding machine, flavour enhancers and vegetable oil are added. These are added to the mixture as it adds more flavour to the peanut butter.
- Peanuts are added, or the mixture is blended to give various flavours like crunchy, extra crunchy or smooth peanut butter flavours.
- Finally, the peanut butter would be cooled and sealed before packing. After the mixture is cooled, it is packed and moved to the stores.
What are the benefits of consuming peanut butter?
Peanut butter is a staple flavour among children and adults. It is widely consumed all over the globe. Still, many people question the health benefits of peanut butter.
Here are some of the vital benefits of consuming peanut butter.
Weight loss
Peanut butter can be consumed if a person wants to maintain their weight, or it can be consumed to assist with weight loss.
Reduces heart diseases
Peanut butter is loaded with nutrients that can improve heart health. The monosaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, magnesium, and vitamin E present in peanut butter benefit heart health.
Managing sugar levels
The potassium in peanut butter is helpful for muscle contraction and plays a vital role in lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Reduces diabetes
As peanuts are relatively a low carbohydrate food and have a decent amount of fats and a good amount of protein, it helps in managing diabetes. However, peanut butter with no added sugar won't impact blood glucose levels.
Good for fitness enthusiasts
Protein, fibre and fat content in peanut butter will provide an instant energy boost. Peanut butter has a good amount of magnesium, an essential mineral that causes biochemical reactions in the body that can be used for recovery and increased performance.
Contains Anti-cancer properties
Another substance with anti-cancer effects that can be found in peanuts are resveratrol. Resveratrol has been found to impede the growth of cancer cells and cut off the blood supply to growing tumours.
Good for pregnant women
Peanut butter has a vital vitamin that can prevent congenital disabilities and promote the growth of the fetus. Therefore, pregnant women are advised to consume peanut butter for the healthy development of the fetus.
Nutrients present in peanut butter
The following are the nutrients present in peanut butter.
Protein
Due to its protein content, Peanut butter would make us feel fuller for a longer time and indirectly reduce additional calorie intake.
Fat
The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in peanut butter are considered good fats. When included in a healthy diet, these facts are linked to lower risk of weight gain and obesity.
Carbohydrates
It is said that per two tablespoons (32 grams) of peanut butter, there are 7 grams total and 5 grams net carbohydrates.
Fibre
Peanut butter has a good amount of fibre, vitamins and minerals, yet these nutrients don't appear as important as the effective calorie content.
Copper
Peanut butter contains a beautiful source of copper (a vital mineral that supports the health of blood vessels and the immune system). According to research, eating a diet high in copper may lower your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.
Magnesium
Peanuts are a good source of magnesium. People who desperately want magnesium can consider peanut butter as food to intake magnesium content in their body.
Vitamin E
Peanut butter contains a high amount of vitamin E. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that could protect the skin from sun damage and improve overall skin health.
Does consuming peanut butter have any disadvantages?
Despite the nutritional value of peanut butter, we need to understand that consuming too much peanut butter is harmful. Drinking a lot of peanut butter would increase the person's risk of surpassing the daily limit of saturated fat and sodium.
People with an allergy to peanuts should avoid peanut butter as it would trigger a harmful reaction in the body. Peanut butter is high in calories; therefore, a person must be mindful of the quantity they consume.
Consuming too much peanut butter would lead to problematic issues such as inflammation. This happens due to the high omega-six content in peanut butter. As peanut butter is high in saturated fat, there is a chance of raising cholesterol levels in the body.
Additionally, sweetened peanut butter contains sugar. Sugar is added to flavour. Consuming more of the sweetened peanut butter would spike the blood glucose level.
To sum up
Peanut butter is healthy. There are a lot of positive things about peanut butter.
It is a good source of protein and has some nutrients in it. It also has fibre, vitamins and mineral content. Peanut butter contains good fat in it.
Limited or moderate consumption of peanut butter would have positive health effects. In contrast, consuming more than the prescribed or recommended limit will likely cause more harm than good to the body.
