Peanut butter: is it good?

Peanut finds a place amongst 5 must-have foods; the other four being – mushroom, avocado, egg and coffee.

Peanut butter, either home-made or commercially prepared is worth considering in your diet. It’s no kidstuff anymore; its benefits to adults are worth including it instead of the usual butter.

It has a fantastic combination of fiber and protein, which also makes it filling, as a result you end up eating less.

It also has significant amounts of Vitamin E (anti-oxidant), Magnesium (for bone-building), Potassium and Vitamin B6 (immunity booster).

Peanuts have been shown in multiple studies to reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes and many other chronic diseases.

One study found that consuming two tablespoon of peanut butter 5 times a week can lower the risk of developing diabetes by 30 percent.

Because of its high monosaturated fat content, it is good for the heart. In addition, peanut butter is known to lower the HDL (bad) cholesterol without reducing the HDL (good) cholesterol.

It can also reduce the risk of stomach cancer by reducing the formation of nitrosamines.

Commercially prepared brands may use hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVO) which are high in trans fatty acids (TFAs) that are known to cause heart attacks and stroke. One must make sure by checking the labels about TFAs and buy the natural peanut butter as it does not contain HVO. Still better, make peanut butter at home – it is not difficult.

Dr. Ajay Sati.