Benefits and harms of peanut butter

Peanut butter is an extremely common food product in the world. True, it is common in countries such as the United States and some European countries, but this does not make it less valuable. Perhaps after this article, peanut butter will have more fans in our country, especially after we consider it in more detail and analyze all the pros and cons of this product.

To understand what peanut butter is, you need to familiarize yourself with the process of its production. Then it will become clear what the benefits and harms of this product are.

Peanut paste: What is it and how is it produced

Peanut butter is a product made from peanuts.

The manufacturing process is pretty straightforward. Peanuts are fried, cooled, peeled, and then crushed to a pasty consistency. After that, maple syrup, salt and vegetable oil are added to the product. That’s it, peanut butter is ready to eat.

It is because of the pasty nature of the product that it is more correct to call it exactly peanut butter, and not peanut butter. But, as already mentioned, both names exist. Therefore, in the article we will use them alternately.

Peanut paste: Product benefits

Peanut butter is as good (and bad) as the good (or bad) peanuts.

Recently, an article was written about the beneficial properties of peanuts, therefore, in order not to repeat myself, I refer readers to it.

However, peanut butter is not exactly the same as pure peanuts. The whole difference is precisely in the pastyness of the product, from which new useful properties of the product arise, which are not mentioned in the article about peanuts. Consider them as well:

Peanut butter is extremely easy to consume. If you eat 50-100 gr. peanut is a rather daunting task, it is extremely easy to eat the same amount of peanut butter. At the same time, the body will receive the same amount of useful nutrients as when eating peanuts.
Peanut butter is a great option for a quick breakfast. Lack of time often pushes us to completely abandon breakfast. At best, breakfast will consist of a cup of tea with a sandwich. But it is enough just to replace a regular sandwich with a sandwich made from healthy bread with whole grain, thickly spread with peanut butter, as the nutritional value of such a breakfast is significantly increased.
Peanut butter is great for filling, even in small amounts. The total calorie content is 100 gr. peanut butter is approaching 600 kcal, so even a couple of spoons can drown out the feeling of hunger for a long time.
You can take peanut butter with you for a snack. Peanut butter is usually packed in plastic jars of 300-500 gr. This allows you to easily put the jar in the most ordinary bag and periodically eat 1-2 tablespoons of the product. And there will be no hunger, and the body will receive a portion of useful components.
Peanut butter is used by bodybuilders during periods of weight gain. Therefore, underweight people trying to gain weight should pay close attention to this product. Unless, of course, there are no contraindications.

Contraindications to the use of peanut butter

Eating peanut butter can cause various kinds of harm to some people.

People who are overweight should either completely stop eating peanut butter or closely monitor the total calorie intake. After all, peanut butter is an extremely high-calorie product.
Peanut butter, like peanuts themselves, can cause serious allergies. This is especially true for children – lovers of peanut butter. At the first sign of hives, when suddenly the whole body begins to itch, you should call a doctor and completely stop eating peanuts in any form.
Despite the large amount of protein, you should eat other foods that contain complete protein. After all, peanuts contain a lot of protein, but they are inferior due to the limiting amino acid lysine.
Peanut butter is great for building muscle, including by increasing the production of nitric oxide in the body, which dilates blood vessels. But if you have problems with varicose veins, you should stop using peanut butter.
Finally, peanut butter is quite expensive. A jar of peanut butter can cost as much as a pound of meat.