Health Benefits of Peanut Butter

Americans consume enough peanut butter each year to coat the floor of the Grand Canyon, according to Kansas State University. Peanut butter, invented in 1890 as a meat protein substitute, is made from ground-up peanuts. Peanuts are not nuts at all, but legumes. Peanut butter offers a nutrient-rich addition to your snacks, meals and desserts.

Health Benefits of Peanut Butter:

Aids in weight loss and muscle build
If you’re looking to aid your workout routine with a food that can both boost testosterone levels and help you lose weight, eating peanut butter daily can keep your energy levels high and assist you in completing difficult workouts. Men’s Health talks about the testosterone boosting powers of this health food — if you’re looking for more natural ways to increase your muscle building capabilities, then eating foods with nutrients that assist in testosterone production is the key.

Peanuts and peanut butter offer healthy levels of zinc, which is a nutrient known to play with hormone levels and increase testosterone levels in just four weeks if eaten regularly. In addition to zinc, a study found on Muscle for Life shows that men who eat plenty of monounsaturated fats, like the fats found in peanut butter, have higher testosterone levels than those who avoid them. By increasing your healthy fat and zinc intake, you may notice a difference in how quickly you’re able to build muscle and keep fat levels at bay because of this testosterone boost — and your libido may increase as well.


Calling peanut butter a diet food, with 180 to 210 calories per serving, may seem counter-intuitive, but peanut butter certainly proves that certain fats can help you ward off excess weight. Men’s Health discusses how people who eat a diet rich in foods like avocado, olive oils, and peanut butter are more likely to not only lose weight, but also keep the weight off for longer than those who follow a low-fat diet. 
Peanut butter is a treat that doesn’t leave you wanting something else — it’s satisfying and filling because of its high protein content, leaving you full for hours and giving you the energy you need to perform daily tasks. Typically, those who are eating peanut butter aren’t reaching for sugary snacks once they’re finished, as they are satiated with what they’ve already had.

Packed with nutrition 
A serving of peanut butter has 3 mg of the powerful antioxidant vitamin E, 49 mg of bone-building magnesium, 208 mg of muscle-friendly potassium, and 0.17 mg of immunity-boosting vitamin B6. Research shows that eating peanuts can decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that consuming 1 ounce of nuts or peanut butter (about 2 tablespoons) at least 5 days a week can lower the risk of developing diabetes by almost 30%.

Contains Healthy Fats
Peanut butter is chock-full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. A recent study found that insulin-resistant adults who ate a diet high in monos had less belly fat than people who ate more carbohydrates or saturated fat. 
One serving has 8 grams of monounsaturated fats and 4 grams of polyunsaturated fats. These "good" fats help lower cholesterol, reduce heart disease, and lower blood pressure. They're also anti-inflammatory, which may help with recovery and reduce your risk for metabolic syndrome.
PS: If you're buying reduced-fat peanut butter because you think it's better for your waistline, save your money. The calories are the same (or even a little higher) thanks to the extra ingredients that are added to make up for the missing fat (including more sugar).


Rich in antioxidants
While peanut butter is full of various vitamins and minerals, you may not also realize that peanuts have high levels of antioxidants — levels that can even rival some antioxidant-rich fruits that are often advertised for their benefits. The World’s Healthiest Foods talks about the antioxidants found in peanuts by first discussing resveratrol, an antioxidant that is originally found in red grapes and red wine, and is also found in peanuts, that can help prevent damage to blood vessels and prevent blood clots. It’s also thought that resveratrol can contribute to a reduction in the risk for cardiovascular disease, which may be why the French, who are frequent drinkers of red wine, have a lower risk of heart disease than Americans.


Peanut butter has higher antioxidant levels than apples, carrots, or beets, and is more on par with the levels found in blackberries and strawberries. A group of University of Florida scientists conducted research on the antioxidant levels of peanuts, and they found that they hold high concentrations of polyphenols. The term “polyphenol” refers to the thousands of plant-based molecules that have antioxidant properties that assist in proper enzyme function and the elimination of harmful free radicals that can damage cells. The University of Florida scientists, who published their findings in the journal Food Chemistry, found that consuming roasted peanuts or peanut butter can boost their antioxidant levels by up to 22%.

Great for memory and brain health
In addition to being great for the heart and body, peanut butter can boost your brain health and help to ward off diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The Peanut Institute reminds us that peanuts are high in both niacin and vitamin E, which are both nutrients shown to protect against Alzheimer’s and age-related cognitive decline.

In a study of nearly 4,000 people 65 years of age and older, researchers found that those who ate more niacin were the ones more likely to retain their cognitive abilities better than those who did not. Also, in a study that followed 815 people over the age of 65 around for four years to see if vitamin E offered protection against Alzheimer’s, the results were as follows — taking vitamin E supplements did not have any effect one way or the other, but consuming vitamin E through foods like peanut butter did offer higher levels of protection. And, those who consumed the most vitamin E and niacin out of the group had a 70% lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who did not consume as much.


Eating just one ounce of peanuts offers 3 mg of vitamin E, which is 20% of your recommended intake a day. And, the resveratrol found in peanut butter can also be an effective agent against Alzheimer’s disease and nerve degeneration disease in general. So, if you’re hoping to keep your brain healthy into your senior years, all evidence is pointing you toward that jar of guilt-free peanut butter on your shelf. Just make sure it’s the natural type with minimum or no added sugars and less sodium than the processed brands, and you’re good to go.

Protein
A 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains 7 grams of protein. Your body uses the amino acids found in protein to build and repair muscle tissue. In addition to building metabolism-boosting muscles, protein-rich foods like peanut butter keep you feeling fuller for longer. The protein in peanuts, like other plant proteins, contains an incomplete set of amino acids, so you should have a glass of milk with your peanut butter sandwich to complete the set, recommends sports nutritionist Nancy Clark.