A number of posts have been circulating on social media about Peanut Butter and Cholesterol. And the ancient myths about Peanut Butter have surfaced again. Time to go over the pros and cons of PB, and debunk all the bunk – again…
The straight-up low-down
WebMD reports, the ‘standard’ 2 tbsp. / 32 g serving of PB contains:
Calories: 190
Protein: 8 grams
Fat: 16 grams
Carbohydrates: 7 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Sugar: 1 gram
Love that fibre and protein!
PB is also a ‘good source’ of:
Vitamin E
Niacin (vitamin B3)
Manganese
Vitamin B6
Magnesium
The full, detailed rundown, from the USDA, is listed on its official page.
The bottom line? Regular, plain peanut butter is really good for you. The best kind is the stuff in the supermarket that says ‘low salt’, and/or ‘Just Peanuts’ on the label. To be sure, get your PB at the bulk or ‘healthy foods’ store. But wherever you get it, be sure to check the Nutrition Facts label – to be sure you’re getting the purest, least-unadulterated stuff.
On the down side…
WebMD also notes that commercial (supermarket) PB may contain ‘unwanted’ ingredients such as added saturated fats, sugar and salt.
And that’s largely the reason PB gets such a bad rap from folks who don’t know the ‘whole story’.
One thing all PB has, that can’t be mitigated, is the Calories: 190 per 2 tbsp. / 32 g serving.
Another is the fat. But in the ‘pure’ PB you get from the bulk store, it’s all ‘good’ fat. The bad fat gets into commercial brands when it’s added during processing. Bad fat is cheaper. That’s why they use it.
Commercial brands also use a lot of sugar – to make the stuff more attractive to us humans – who are hard-wired to crave ‘sweet’.
Some bonuses…
Peanut Butter, by itself, is Gluten-free. It’s also vegan!
… And PB has also been proven to offer the following benefits:
- Improves heart health
- Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes
- Offers anti-cancer properties (via antioxidants and resveratrol)
Cholesterol?
Regardless of whether you find saturated fats or trans fats in your Peanut Butter, it’s not an issue in connection with cardio health. A number of studies have found that there is no direct correlation between dietary intake of fats and your blood cholesterol levels.
My take
The jury is in. And it has been for a long time, now. ‘Pure’ Peanut Butter – without all the commercial additions – is a really healthy food. The experts say you can eat it in moderation every day, if you want to.
Alas, the commercial brands that we find on supermarket shelves are almost always the end-product of Ultra-Processing. And that makes them ultra-bad…
~ Maggie J.