Is Peanut Butter Good For Weight Loss?

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Do you love peanut butter? You’re not alone! This quintessential North American sandwich spread is a favorite for many of us, and for good reason. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also packed with protein, healthy fats, and other nutrients that make it a great addition to a healthy diet. But what about its impact on weight loss?

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the health benefits and risks of peanut butter, and help you decide whether you should be eating it on your weight loss diet.

How is peanut butter made?

Here’s a general overview of how peanut butter is made:

1. Harvesting: Peanuts are harvested from fields and transported to processing facilities.
2. Roasting: The peanuts are roasted at high temperatures to remove any moisture and enhance their flavor. Some manufacturers may also add salt or other seasonings at this stage.
3. Cooling: The roasted peanuts are then cooled to room temperature.
4. Grinding: The peanuts are placed in a grinder and ground into a paste. Depending on the manufacturer, the paste may be ground to a fine or coarse consistency.
5. Mixing: Some manufacturers may add additional ingredients at this stage, such as sugar, honey, or oils, to enhance the flavor and texture of the peanut butter. In chunky peanut butter, peanut chunks are typically added during this stage of the manufacturing process.
6. Packaging: The finished peanut butter is then packaged in jars or other containers and shipped to stores for sale.

Type of peanuts

There are a few major varieties of peanuts used in the making of peanut butter, each with their own unique characteristics. Here’s a comparison of four common types of peanuts:

• Runner peanuts: These are the most common type of peanut and account for the majority of peanut butter production. They are known for their consistent flavor, high yield, and relatively small size. Runner peanuts have a bright red skin and are primarily grown in the southeastern United States.
• Virginia peanuts: Virginia peanuts are larger than runner peanuts and have a more oblong shape. They are known for their rich, nutty flavor and are often used in gourmet peanut butter products. Virginia peanuts have a slightly darker skin than runner peanuts and are primarily grown in Virginia and the Carolinas.
• Spanish peanuts: These peanuts are smaller than runner peanuts and have a reddish-brown skin. They are known for their unique flavor, which is slightly sweeter and nuttier than other types of peanuts. Spanish peanuts are often used in snack products like peanut brittle and roasted peanuts.
• Valencia peanuts: Valencia peanuts are smaller and sweeter than other types of peanuts, with a bright red skin. They are often used in candy and confectionary products because of their sweet flavor. Valencia peanuts are primarily grown in New Mexico and Texas.

When it comes to nutritional content, all types of peanuts are rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. However, there can be some variation in taste, texture, and overall quality depending on the type of peanut used.

Nutritional benefits

Peanut butter is a nutritionally and calorie dense food. Here are some of the beneficial nutrients found in peanut butter:

• Protein: Peanut butter is a rich source of plant-based protein, with around 8 grams per 2 tablespoons. Protein is important for building and repairing tissues in the body.
• Healthy fats: Peanut butter is high in healthy fats, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats are important for brain function, hormone production, and maintaining healthy skin.
• Fiber: Peanut butter is a good source of dietary fiber, with around 2 grams per 2 tablespoons. Fiber is important for maintaining digestive health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
• Vitamin E: Peanut butter is a good source of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect cells from damage.
• Magnesium: Peanut butter is also a good source of magnesium, a mineral that is important for bone health, energy production, and regulating blood pressure.
• Niacin: Peanut butter is a good source of niacin, also known as vitamin B3. Niacin is important for energy production and maintaining healthy skin, nerves, and digestion.

Comparing peanut butter

Peanut butter vs other nut butters

Other nut butters like almond butter are made in a similar fashion to peanut butter, and generally speaking, different types of nut butters have pretty similar macronutrient densities, and contain about the same amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and calories.

For example, peanut butter tends to be the highest in protein, and walnut butter tends to be the highest in fat. But if you’re only having like 1-2 tbsp per day, the difference is somewhat minimal.

There are some differences between specific nutrients however:

• almond and walnut butter tends to have more omega 3 fats
• sunflower butter has high amounts of Vitamin E
• sesame butter and tahini tend to have a larger variety of other micronutrients

So choosing which nut butter you eat should largely depend on which nutrients you want, and which taste you prefer.

Sweet spreads like Nutella or other chocolatey spreads don’t count as nut butters in my opinion.

Real nut butter should be mostly made of nuts, with small amounts of sugar. Nutella is mostly made of sugar, with small amounts of nuts.

I suggest avoiding these sweet, chocolatey spreads as they have more in common with dessert icings than nut butters.

Whole peanuts vs peanut butter

Eating whole peanuts will have slightly more protein and fiber, and slightly less calories and carbohydrate than peanut butter.

As a result, some studies suggest that eating whole nuts will be better than eating nut butters in terms of weight control and health, since whole nuts have less sugar, are less refined, and retain more of their fiber and protein content.

This might be the case, especially if too much sugar, salt, or fat is added to the peanut butter.

So if you prefer to have the whole peanut, have the whole peanut naturally by itself, and make sure you avoid peanuts that have been heavily flavoured, or coated with sugar or chocolate.

Peanut butter and health

Saturated fats

Peanut butter is high in saturated fat. However, it’s important to note that not all saturated fats are created equal. The saturated fats in peanut butter are primarily made up of palmitic and stearic acid, which may have different effects on cholesterol levels and heart health than other types of saturated fats.

For many years, it was believed that saturated fat intake was strongly associated with an increased risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular health problems. However, recent research has provided mixed results on this topic.

Here is a summary of some key findings from research on saturated fat intake and cardiovascular health:

• Meta-Analyses: Several large meta-analyses have been conducted in recent years that have examined the relationship between saturated fat intake and cardiovascular health. While some studies have found a weak or no association between saturated fat intake and heart disease, others have found a significant link between the two.
• Type of Saturated Fat: Recent research has suggested that not all types of saturated fat have the same effect on cardiovascular health. For example, stearic acid, which is found in cocoa butter and some meats, has been shown to have a neutral or even beneficial effect on cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. On the other hand, palmitic acid, which is found in high amounts in dairy products and red meat, may have a negative impact on cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.
• Individual Differences: It’s important to note that individual differences in genetics, lifestyle, and overall diet may also play a role in how saturated fats affect cardiovascular health. For example, individuals with certain genetic variations may be more sensitive to the negative effects of saturated fat on cholesterol levels.

In summary, the research on saturated fat intake and cardiovascular health is complex and ongoing. While some studies have suggested a link between high saturated fat intake and an increased risk of heart disease, others have found a weak or no association.

It’s important to note that individual differences may play a role, and that focusing on a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods is key for optimal cardiovascular health.

Is peanut butter inflammatory?

Peanuts and peanut butter are high in omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 6 is a fat that’s used as part of the inflammatory pathway, and is a nutrient that helps activate the immune system.

Some studies also observe that people with high intakes of omega 6 fat compared to omega 3 fat appear to have an increased risk of a number of diseases.

As a result, some people automatically assume that peanut and peanut butters are going to be highly inflammatory.

However, we don’t have good evidence to support this assumption. The mere fact that peanuts contain more omega 6 doesn’t mean that it will cause inflammation or increase health risks.

Indeed, research suggests that dietary intake of more plant based oils from all kinds of nuts, including peanuts, have been observed to reduce inflammation and the risks of various diseases.

Even then, some clinicians are hesitant to recommend peanut butter because they’re afraid that some patients will then believe it’s ok to eat any type of peanut butter, like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or think it’s ok to eat peanut butter treats that are too high in sugar, salt, or fat.

And too many of these treats might be problematic, but more so due to their high sugar, salt, or fat content rather than their peanut content.

Regardless, unless you’re actually sensitive or allergic to peanuts, having a little bit of unsweetened and natural peanut butter is not likely going to cause any inflammation.

Peanut butter and weight loss

Is peanut butter keto friendly?

If eaten in moderate amounts, peanut butter and other nut butters can be eaten on keto. It has a pretty high fat content, which makes it a good keto food.

However, it does contain a few grams of carbohydrate per tbsp, something you might need to take into account if you’re counting carbs on your keto diet.

Just keep in mind that the type of peanut butter that’s keto friendly are the unsweetened and natural peanut butters.

Sweet peanut butter spreads, treats, and candies are not considered keto friendly, since the added sugar could potentially break ketosis.

Pro: High in protein

Peanut butter is chock full of fat and protein, which is why it’s often recommended on low carbohydrate or ketogenic diets.

The high amounts of protein make it a vegetarian source of protein that rivals other animal sources like beef, chicken, or fish. It also have a significant amount more fat and carbohydrate than animal sources.

Depending on your dietary goals, the high amount of fat could be good or bad thing for you. Nevertheless, the large amount of fat makes peanut butter quite filling, which can help you to manage hunger and appetite.

Con: High calorie density

Because peanut butter is so high in fats, it tends to be quite high in overall calories. Peanut butter has more calories per weight than bacon and cheddar cheese.

So if you’re blending peanut butter into a smoothie, you’ll need to watch how much you’re adding, especially if you tend to haphazardly add a few tbsp into a pre-workout smoothie or something.

A few tbsp of peanut butter could easily add up to a few hundred calories if you’re not careful.

Having peanut butter for weight loss

Aim for unsweetened and natural peanut butter. Peanut butter is a good way to increase plant-based fats and protein in your diet, as well as improve the fullness of any meal or snack.

For example, you could add peanut butter to a smoothie or fruit snack so that it keeps you fuller for longer. You could eat it straight up as well.

If you’re having peanut butter as a snack, try to have it so it’ll prevent you from snacking on other sugary treats, or use it as a way to reduce your hunger when lunch or dinner comes around, and hopefully have a smaller overall meal.

Remember that fullness from fats and proteins take some time to take effect, so eat slowly and give yourself time to enjoy it. Don’t stuff yourself.

Learn more about

• What To Eat To Lose Belly Fat – Protein and Fat
• Other foods for weight loss

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