Peanut butter isn't just kids' stuff, says Mary Ellen Camire, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Maine's department of food science and human nutrition.
In addition to the protein a spoonful delivers, PB packs vitamin E and cholesterol-regulating monounsaturated fats, and "might even help curb your appetite," says Camire. Here's how to make the most of it, with or without jelly.
It may reduce your risk of coronary death People who eat nuts or peanuts four times a week may lower their risk of dying of coronary heart disease by 37 percent, compared with people who seldom or never eat nuts, according to a review in the British Journal of Nutrition. Eating peanut butter may lower bad LDL cholesterol while maintaining good HDL cholesterol, the authors say. It may help prevent Alzheimer's disease Adding 22 milligrams (mg) of niacin to your daily diet may decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer's. A tablespoon
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For people with a peanut allergy, peanut butter can cause reactions, including anaphylactic shock, which has led to its being banned in some schools.
The peanut plant is susceptible to the mold Aspergillus flavus which produces a carcinogenic substance called aflatoxin.
Since it is impossible to completely remove every instance of aflatoxins, contamination of peanuts and peanut butter is monitored in many countries to ensure safe levels of this carcinogen. In 1990, a study showed that average American peanut butter contained an average of 5.7 parts per billion of aflatoxins, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines of 20 parts per billion.
Some brands of peanut butter may contain a small amount of added partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are high in trans fatty acids, thought to be a cause of atherosclerosis, coronary heart
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Peanut butter has a high level of mono unsaturated fats and resveratrol. Peanut butter (and peanuts) provide protein, vitamins B3 and E, magnesium, folate, dietary fiber, arginine, and high levels of the antioxidant p-coumaric acid.
