Peanut butter: benefits and harms to the body

Peanut butter is a product of the same name roasted, peeled and chopped nuts. Depends on the degree of their grinding, whether the creamy paste will be homogeneous or with pieces of nuts falling into the total mass.

Salt and sugar, stabilizers for a stable consistency, cocoa, candied fruit, etc. are added to the paste.

What is the difference between peanut butter and pasta

In everyday life, peanut butter is often called butter because it can be spread on bread like butter. But in reality these are fundamentally different things. This misconception originates from the English language, where the paste is called the word “butter”, as is butter, animal butter. And liquid peanut butter is called a word that refers to all vegetable oils - “oil”.

Pasta is a mass of ground nuts. And oil is a liquid obtained by squeezing peanuts.

Composition and calorie content

Peanut butter is extremely rich in healthy ingredients, vitamins and minerals. This is due to the high saturation of these components of the peanut itself. It contains nicotinic, pantothenic and folic acids, riboflavin, inositol, cholecalciferol, alpha-tocopherol, retinol, as well as calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, potassium, selenium, iron, copper.

Pasta is considered a high-calorie product, because its calorie content per 100 g ranges from 570 kcal to 600 kcal. Fats in the composition of the paste - 75%, protein - 17% and carbohydrates - 8%.

What are the benefits of peanut butter?

Peanut butter, due to its rich beneficial composition, is an integral part of a healthy, nutritious diet. Its regular use helps maintain normal levels of cholesterol and blood sugar, prevents the onset and development of atherosclerosis and diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, ensures the normal functioning of the gallbladder and liver, improves the regenerative functions of the latter, strengthens cartilage, bones (including teeth) ), the body and immunity.

For women

Due to its high content of antioxidants, peanut butter helps women maintain their beauty and youth, as well as healthy skin, hair and nails. The presence of folic acid in the composition makes it useful in planning pregnancy and during gestation. The use of peanut paste accelerates the onset of the planned conception and ensures healthy and proper development of the fetus. The product favorably affects the hormonal background of a woman.

For men

Peanut butter increases the level of testosterone in the blood of a man, that is, enhances potency. “Magic” nut mass perfectly fights adenoma and prostatitis, helps with a comprehensive fight against infertility. Regular use of this product prevents the development of many diseases of the genitourinary system.

During pregnancy

During pregnancy, the use of peanuts and products from it, including peanut butter, is useful as follows:

1. It softens the unpleasant manifestations of toxicosis due to the large number of antioxidants.
2. Improves the state of blood vessels and maintains normal hemoglobin levels.
3. Due to the presence of B vitamins, it favorably affects the emotional state of a pregnant woman, calming the nervous system.
4. Helps to combat dry skin and prevents excessive stretch marks.

When breastfeeding

When breastfeeding, peanut butter provides abundant and stable lactation due to its high protein content. Milk becomes very nutritious, saturated with useful elements, satisfying. Babies fed with such milk eat up faster and sleep better.

But peanuts are a very strong allergen, so you need to very carefully enter it into the diet of a woman who is breastfeeding a newborn baby. The risk of allergic manifestations is reduced if a woman ate paste during pregnancy. Bloating in the baby may also be observed. For any allergy or bowel problems, you should immediately stop using peanut paste.

For kids

A healthy diet enriched with useful trace elements is very important for the growth and development of the child's body. A child’s diet is different from that of an adult; children need more nutrients.

Peanut butter, as mentioned above, is very rich in vitamins and minerals, so it is necessary in the children's diet. In addition, it gives a feeling of satiety and satiety for a long time, which is very important for an energetic and active daily routine.

In a paste of nuts there is a lot of iron, magnesium, zinc, folic acid, which are indispensable for the child's body. Iron has a good effect on blood composition, magnesium normalizes blood pressure and is responsible for metabolism, zinc strengthens the immune system, and folic acid renews cells.

For athletes

For people who are fond of sports, peanut butter is an indispensable component of the diet. It is a rich source of protein, which is so appreciated by athletes: it helps to quickly and efficiently build muscle.

Paste when consumed in a small amount gives satiety and a charge of energy for a long time, this does not lead to an increase in fat subcutaneous layer and distension of the stomach.

Numerous experiments have shown a direct dependence of the muscle relief on the level of testosterone in the blood. Peanut paste increases the content of this hormone, which allows you to quickly achieve a muscular relief, as well as strengthen the skeleton and maintain a good mood.

Choline normalizes the functioning of the nervous system in stressful and difficult situations that regularly occur during intense training and competition. He also supports the liver, which suffers from intermittent use of fat burners and protein supplements.

Is it possible to eat peanut butter when losing weight?

The answer to the question whether it is possible to eat peanut butter while losing weight is ambiguous. On the one hand, it gives a long-lasting feeling of fullness and maintains muscle tone, on the other hand, it is very high in calories.

When losing weight, you need to limit the use of peanut butter to four teaspoons per day. It is better to eat it with bread or crackers, with fresh fruits or berries. Since it is rich in fats, the meat for the period of such a diet should be low-fat: poultry, veal, rabbit. It is better to cook steamed dishes.

The effectiveness of such a peanut diet has not been proven, so you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons before proceeding with it. And it is better in this case to choose the most natural paste (it is better to cook it yourself) and with a minimum amount of additives.

Peanut butter

Due to the high content of useful components, peanut butter has found its application in the comprehensive fight against certain diseases.

With diabetes

People with diabetes should choose their own foods based on their glycemic index. It indicates how much blood sugar levels will rise after they are consumed. In diabetes of the second type, people can only eat foods with an index of less than 50. But diabetics need to monitor the calorie content of foods, because you need to control your weight. Products with an index of zero, but very fatty, are contraindicated. They do not increase sugar levels, but can cause cholesterol blockage of blood vessels.Peanuts have a glycemic index of 15. Proteins and fats from this nut are digested much faster and easier than the same proteins and fats from meat or fish.

Diabetics can eat many types of nuts, including peanuts and products from it, which means peanut butter. But because of the high calorie content, you need to limit the intake of 50 g per day.

Conclusion: vitamins from peanut butter are essential for a person suffering from diabetes, but in a strictly controlled amount.

With pancreatitis

In acute pancreatitis, the patient’s diet is strictly regulated by the attending physician. The patient can eat little, fats are excluded. With the weakening of symptoms, it is allowed to relax your diet a little, expand your diet somewhat, but not so much as to include nuts in your diet. Food should be protein. The use of peanut butter can lead to a repeated exacerbation of the disease.

In chronic pancreatitis, peanut butter can be eaten during periods of remission and only in very small quantities. After the first use, you need to carefully listen to your body, if there were any consequences after such a meal. If everything is in order, then you can gradually introduce it into the diet.

Observing the recommendations and instructions of a doctor, you can avoid exacerbation of pancreatitis and worsening of the condition and get the maximum benefit from peanuts for the body.

With gastritis

On the one hand, peanuts are very useful, on the other hand, they are difficult to digest. And during gastritis, the stomach is weakened. So is it possible peanut butter with this ailment? Nutritionists do not attribute peanuts to either prohibited or permitted foods for gastritis.

Recommendations for gastritis with low and high acidity vary. Peanuts are actively involved in fermentation processes, which leads to a strong acidification of the stomach. Therefore, the use of peanut paste for gastritis with high acidity is excluded.

In gastritis with low acidity, enzymes are excreted in insufficient quantities, motility is slowed down. For these reasons, you need to use peanut products: it improves the mechanical breakdown of food and increases muscle contractility. Since nuts must be roasted, peeled and chopped before use, peanut butter is best suited for this purpose.

But, of course, before using such a complex and controversial product, you need to consult a doctor.

For constipation

Peanut butter contains plant fiber. Though not in the largest quantity, but nevertheless they are in it. This means that it will improve the intestines and their motility, normalize the stool, prevent constipation or alleviate the condition with an existing problem.

Harm and contraindications

Despite the undeniable benefits of peanut butter, it can also harm the body.

Peanuts are a hypeallergenic product. And an allergy to it is manifested by very serious symptoms and is very difficult. Therefore, for any allergy sufferer, before introducing peanut butter into the diet, an allergic reaction test should be performed.

Excessive additives in the paste also bring harm. It is necessary to pay attention to its composition and give preference to the most pure products. Palm oil, colorants, soybean oil, preservatives, flavors are all undesirable additives.

The calorie content and high fat content in peanut butter can also be attributed to such features of the product that, if consumed excessively, will harm the body.

Contraindications to the use of peanut butter:

• allergy and individual intolerance;
• arthrosis;
• gout;
• arthritis;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage;
• acne, acne;
• varicose veins.

In case of joint diseases, peanut butter is contraindicated due to the high protein content, in gout - due to purines, which contribute to the deposition of salts, in case of skin problems - due to oilyness and overdrying of the skin, which will lead to an increase in inflammation, with varicose veins - for hemostatic properties.

Symptoms of Peanut Butter Allergy

Allergy Symptoms:

• sore and sore throat;
• nausea, vomiting;
• itching of the skin on the neck and lips;
• swelling of the tongue and lips, a feeling of fullness;
• swelling of the pharynx and larynx up to difficulty in breathing;
• shortness of breath, cough, asthmatic attacks;
• anaphylactic shock.

How to choose and store peanut butter

High-quality peanut butter should include only peanuts and salt. If the list of components contains rapeseed, soybean, palm or cottonseed oil, then you should not take such a product. Some manufacturers add sugar or glucose syrup. This is an undesirable supplement, but not as scary as hydrogenated oils.

A layer of fat may be observed on the surface of the paste - this is normal. You just need to mix the paste before use.

The color of a good paste should be a pronounced brown hue, a little reddish. The fragrance should be sweetish, but not obsessively cloying. On the palate, the honey note should not be alarming - this is the norm and a sign of using good nuts for making pasta.

Particular attention should be paid to the paste, which is declared as non-greasy. It would seem that such a product will do less harm. But the fat is compensated by sugar and oils, which in the end gives the same calorie content and more harm to the body (compared to natural peanut fats).

Before opening the jar, the paste can be stored at room temperature (in kitchen cabinets or on a shelf), and after opening it, only in the refrigerator. The maximum shelf life is 2 months.

How to make peanut butter at home

To be 100% confident in the composition of peanut benefits, it is better to cook it yourself. There is nothing complicated about it.

Ingredients:

• 500 g peanuts;
• half a teaspoon of salt;
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (sunflower or peanut);
• 1 tablespoon of honey.

Cooking:

1. Raw peanuts should be washed and dried on a towel. Then spread it on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 180 degrees for 5 minutes. You need to monitor the peanuts so that it does not burn, because you may need to increase the roasting time to 7-10 minutes.
2. Pour the toasted nuts into a blender and chop. After about two minutes of continuous grinding, the desired nut mass consistency is achieved.
3. Add salt, honey and oil, mix everything in a blender.

It happens that the paste seems too thick. You can, of course, leave it that way, but it’s worth considering that such a product can even be chewed hard, despite its creamy state. Therefore, you can safely add water to the paste until the desired density is achieved. There are no exact proportions: as much as is needed and will seem necessary, so much can be added.

If desired, you can also add chocolate, cocoa, coffee, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. to the paste.

Cooking such a product is not recommended for future use - for a maximum of a week. As it ends, then you can prepare the next portion.

How to eat peanut butter

How much can you eat per day

The daily norm of peanut butter is equal to 4 teaspoons or 2 tablespoons with a slide. You shouldn’t eat more if you have health problems or do not want to gain extra weight.

Can I eat at night

Due to the high calorie content of the product and the high fat content, it is not recommended to eat peanut butter in the evening, this is not the best time.

But, if you need to gain weight, then you can add a teaspoon of pasta to the cottage cheese and eat it in the evening. Thus, the body will receive the necessary fats, and well absorbed cottage cheese.

What peanut butter is eaten with

Peanut butter goes well with many products.

The safest options for the figure:

• as a salad dressing (for example, balsamic vinegar, peanut butter and sesame oil);
• with oatmeal;
• as an addition to fish and meat sauces for a nutty “note”;
• with green apples and bananas;
• as a filling for homemade sweets;
• with eggplant (for example, as a filling for eggplant rolls);
• as one of the components of a smoothie;
• with whole grain breads or bran bread;
• as a component of homemade cookies;
• with natural jams;
• as a sauce for fresh vegetables;
• as a curry supplement for stewed vegetables.

What can be made from peanut butter

There are many very affordable, simple, wholesome, and delicious recipes using peanut butter. It is impossible to list everything, but you can pay attention to the most popular of them.

1. You can just boil oatmeal with peanut butter. It will be a wonderful tasty and nutritious breakfast. Cook regular oatmeal in water. For the so-called liquid "smear" you need to take twice as much water as cereals, for thick porridge - 1: 1. In a ready-made cereal for each serving, just add a teaspoon of peanut butter to a plate in a plate. Pasta goes well with fresh fruits and berries, so you can additionally add apple slices, banana rings, several berries (cherries, strawberries, blueberries), etc.
2. With pasta you can cook not only breakfasts and snacks, but also full-fledged dishes, for example, salad. The most popular is a peanut butter salad called "Chinese Miracle." The basis is greens (any to taste). You can take ordinary lettuce, Peking, lettuce and arugula. Dice as much as possible (just square pieces). Cut tomatoes (preferably small, such as cherry) into slices. Chop dill. Put all this in a dish without stirring, in the sequence of slicing: first cabbage, then tomatoes, then sprinkle with dill. Put a portion of the sauce in the middle of the salad, which is prepared as follows. Mix two tablespoons of peanut butter with a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of salt. All this mix thoroughly. You can add a few whole nuts on top of the salad and sauce.
3. Peanut butter is a sweet dish. Therefore, without a dessert recipe from it can not do. In a blender you need to load one tofu bar, 4 teaspoons of peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar. You can take a paste with the addition of chocolate or add it separately, along with other components in a blender. Beat the whole mass until a homogeneous, tender and airy mousse is obtained. Put it in a bowl and decorate as you wish: with chocolate or coconut, nuts, berries, powdered sugar, etc. This dessert is very sweet, so it goes well with green or weak black tea without adding sugar.
4. Another version of the sandwich with pasta implies a fairly satisfying and dense snack - this is a club sandwich with peanut mass. Cut the bread “brick” diagonally to make slices familiar to a classic sandwich. Spread peanut butter on a thin layer of bread, then lay the banana rings, sprinkle all this with raisins and cover with another bread slice greased with pasta. Dry such sandwiches in a frying pan without adding vegetable oil until a crispy crust forms.
5. Great sauces for a wide variety of dishes come out of peanut butter. She gives them a unique tender nutty “note”. For example, a great option is a stew with a similar sauce. 4 medium onions finely chop and fry in vegetable (preferably coconut) oil until golden brown. Then add spices (pepper, turmeric, zira) and fry for another half a minute - a minute until a persistent flavor of seasonings appears. Peel 800–900 g of tomatoes and cut into small cubes, put in a frying pan to the onion.Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 2 pcs. peeled and diced sweet potatoes. Cover all this and simmer until the latter is ready. When everything is ready, add peanut butter (1 tablespoon), 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, salt to taste and fresh spinach (about 100 g). Put together a little more until the spinach leaves are “wilted”. The dish is ready. Serve with peanuts and cilantro leaves.
6. And what about the "bad" dishes? For example, fried. Those who, due to their state of health, sometimes allow themselves a fried dish, can take note of the following fritters recipe. In a blender, mix 50 g of oatmeal, 100 g of bananas, 100 g of apples, 150 ml of milk and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Fry the fritters in a pan in vegetable oil, as well as ordinary from flour. Cooking is better on olive. Serve very tasty with sour cream or berry jam. It is better to take unsweetened pasta for such a dish, otherwise it turns out very cloyingly. You can dilute the sweetness with a sour apple or take fresh berries without sugar instead of jam.

It is worth noting that an ingredient such as peanut butter is great for fasting. This is a completely herbal product, very useful and adds variety to a boring and unleavened diet.

Interesting Facts About Peanuts

Curious facts about peanuts and peanut products:

1. Peanuts are actually beans. Its fruits are located in pods, which, as they ripen, "dig" into the ground.
2. The name "peanuts" itself comes from the ancient Greek word for "spider", most likely due to the similarity of the picture with a spider web.
3. At least 5 months must elapse before planting and harvesting the peanuts.
4. In the United States, peanuts are among the ingredients needed to make explosives. In Russia, soy is used instead.
5. In the USA there is even a monument to peanuts.
6. Any products containing peanuts are prohibited when traveling by plane. The reason for this is the high allergy of this nut, which can cause severe attacks of suffocation and even death.
7. Peanut protein is used to make ardil (vegetable wool), plastic, and glue.
8. March in America is called the peanut month, because it is during this period that harvesting occurs. In America, a huge amount of this peanut is grown, most of which is used to make peanut butter.
9. The average American eats about 3 kg of peanut paste per year.
10. In 1904, at the Universal Exhibition, paste from this nut received the title of “new pleasure”.
11. Peanuts are very loved in America. 75% of all families eat peanut butter daily for breakfast.
12. About 30 tons of peanuts are harvested worldwide per year. The largest manufacturers are America, China and India.
13. The cake that remains after squeezing the peanut butter goes to feed livestock.
14. The nutshell has also found its useful application: it is used to improve soil quality, packaging and insulation material are made of it, it is used as bedding for birds on farms. And from it comes out an excellent filler for cat trays and material for lighting a fire in a fireplace.
15. Peanut butter accelerates tissue regeneration and promotes rapid healing of wounds.
16. The Guinness Book of Records recorded a throw of peanut fruit at 34 meters.
17. Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter, American presidents, have been growing peanuts before their political careers.
18. In Florida, there is an artificial peanut island.
19. The idea to turn peanuts into pasta came from the ancient Aztecs.
20. Arachibutyrophobia is a fear that peanut butter will stick to the sky and cause death by suffocation.
21. The homeland of peanuts is South America.
22. Alan Shepard, the first American to go into space, took peanuts to the moon with him - so the fruit visited the moon in 1971.
23. In ancient times, if people didn’t like the performance of the artists, they bombarded them with peanuts.
24. March 15th is National Peanut Day in America.
25. November in America is the month of peanut butter lovers.
26. Roasted peanuts are healthier than raw: the amount of antioxidants in it increases by a quarter.
27. Mice are very fond of peanuts, so it can be used as bait in various traps.
28. 1 peanut fruit contains from 1 to 5 kernels.
29. In reality, only 0.6% of people are allergic to peanuts.
30. Peanuts are completely cholesterol free.
31. Peanut butter is the favorite submariner oil. They prefer to cook food on it, because it does not fade even at high temperatures.
32. Another record - Tom Miller pushed his peanut fruit onto the Pike Mountain Peak with his nose. Its height is more than 4 km. He spent the record for almost 5 days.
33. African residents use peanuts unusually in national dishes: they cook soup and porridge with the addition of millet from it.

Peanut Butter Photo