Top 5 Nutritional Benefits of Peanut Butter

Although Peanuts are ground into a paste from times immemorial, it has made its entry into the Indian fitness market very recently. Nevertheless, Peanut butter is one of the magical product on our kitchen shelves today.

Peanuts are the most nutrient-dense nuts. Peanut butter, a paste made from dry, roasted peanuts is a perfectly tasty and healthy combination. It’s not to exaggerate but true! If you can think of a small amount of food that can give you a whole lot of nutrition, it would be none other than Peanut butter. When it comes to flexibility of usage, it doesn’t get better than Peanut butter. Whether it is crunchy or creamy, Peanut butter is simply the best to spread on bread, spoon it straight from the jar, stir it with shakes or smoothies or perhaps make bars and cookies out of it.

Another interesting fact concerning Peanut butter is that it is one of the best and least expensive sources of protein you can find.

Going ahead in this article, we’ll find out the varied health benefits of Peanut butter.

1. Peanut Butter Is An Excellent Source Of Protein

As opposed to other fat sources, like coconut oil or avocado oil, peanut butter contains a good amount of protein. A serving (2tablespoons) of Peanut butter packs in 8-9g of protein. Protein, as you know is vital for building and maintaining muscles. Protein upon consumption is broken down into amino acids, which are then used in the development of muscle tissue and in building lean muscle mass. Peanut butter is not only an easy way to hit your protein goal but the high protein content helps you stay satiated by reducing your appetite. Peanuts are rich in arginine, an amino acid which is one of the building blocks of protein. Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide, a compound that expands your blood vessels. Studies suggest that arginine may decrease blood pressure, improve wound healing, promote increased muscle mass and decrease body fat.

2. Peanut Butter Contains Dietary Fibre

Adequate fibre is very important for the healthy functioning of our body. When you think of fibre, the first thing that comes to mind are fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Did you know? A serving of peanut butter is a good source of fibre. A serving (2 tablespoons) of Peanut butter gives you 2g of fibre. The fibre adds bulk to our diets helping us feel full. Fibre will slow the absorption of certain foods so that blood sugar is better controlled.

Moreover, having a good amount of fibre suggests it’ll digest slower than simple carbohydrates. This again aids in keeping the feeling of satiation in between meals, particularly helpful if you are following a weight loss diet. The fibre content helps maintain good digestive health and pulls out excess toxins from the body, control appetite and keeps you feeling full. 

3. Peanut Is Loaded With Healthy Fat

There is a myth surrounding Peanut butter regarding the high-fat content in it, which people assume is dangerous and may add weight. How far is this true? Let me tell you, it’s not the fat content in food that makes you fat but eating in a calorie surplus over an extended period of time is what will cause unwanted weight gain in the form of fat.

Well, it’s true that the amount and the type of fat we eat can impact our health in many ways.

But this is not a concern with Peanut butter because Peanut butter although has high-fat content, it has a high share of mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids (in the form of oleic and linoleic acids) compared to saturated fats (in the form of palmitic acid). This implies it’s low in the so-called bad fat. Peanut butter is a protein package that brings you good fats along with it. One more advantage of plant protein is they do not have cholesterol.

Research suggests that eating a diet high in healthy fat can actually help you lose weight and cut back LDL cholesterol thereby aid in heart health. Healthy fats are also crucial for the maintenance of healthy hormonal balance.

4. Peanut Butter Is An Energy Booster

If you are trying to find a quick energy booster that’s free from caffeine and other stimulants, you must try Peanut butter. The fats found in Peanut butter, along with fibre and proteins stabilize insulin levels and ensure constant energy supply for hours.

Peanut butter like all other protein sources has slow digesting properties that is an added advantage because the slow digesting property helps the calorie-dense Peanut butter to give you a stable energy burst that lasts much longer. Besides, Peanut butter is a good source of carbohydrates. The carbs turn into glycogen, which provides energy to your muscles.

So, Peanut butter will not only keep you fuller, but it’ll keep you fuelled.

5. Peanut Butter Is Nutrient Rich

Apart from being a good source of protein, healthy fats, fibres and carbohydrates, Peanut butter contains vitamins such as vitamin E, vitamin B6, Niacin, and minerals like Magnesium, Folate, and Potassium. These nutrients are excellent for bone building and muscle recovery. They also keeps the immune system strong.

One serving of Peanut butter gives at least 3mg of vitamin E, 0.2mg of vitamin B6, 49mg of Magnesium, and 207mg of Potassium. By having a good source of antioxidant vitamin E, Peanut butter serves in reducing the oxidative stress, prevents tissue damage. A good source of B vitamins plays a role in energy metabolism. Niacin helps perform chemical reactions, plays a role in cell development. Magnesium and Potassium help your muscles contract and Iron aids in delivering oxygen to muscles and tissues. Potassium helps regulate your fluids and nerve signals. Nutrient-dense Peanut butter can suppress your appetite and cravings so that you stay satiated between meals and will not have to depend on unhealthy snacks.

A highly digestible, healthy, tasty treat packed with powerful nutrients and healthy fats. What more would you like from a plant protein?

Try keeping Peanut butter in your gym bag for a convenient and tasty source of essential nutrients to power your workout routine…

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Also read: Whey Protein- The Magic Bullet For Weight Loss