How Healthy is Peanut Buter?

Peanut butter is known to be a healthy substitute for people who are used to eating processed butter with bread. It is definitely not a must eat food, but if you eat it in moderation it would not do you any harm.

Most brands of peanut butter have additives and preservatives, it is worthwhile to make peanut butter at home. Eating the peanut paste fresh is the most healthy option.

Peanut butter should not be stored for long

The best way to eat peanut butter is fresh and homemade. The use of preservatives can make it toxic to the body. Peanuts can be stored in a freezer for several months without losing their texture or taste, that's because they have low water content. Peanut butter is of course not the same as peanut.

The water content in peanut butter makes it susceptible to rancidity if stored for long. The maximum duration you should consider storing home made peanut butter would be a week.

Combining Bread with Peanut Butter Can Be Harmful

Studies in the field of natural hygiene have shown that combining starch with protein will result in hampered digestion. The most common mode of eating peanut butter would be by applying it over bread.

The high protein content of peanut butter and the rich starch content of bread enter the stomach together. Our digestive system cannot handle the proteins and starch together, hence it results in improper digestion. Starch should be eaten with starch and protein should be eaten alone. Combining two or three different types of protein food is also found to be harmful.

Preservatives in Peanut Butter

Another reason why you should avoid consuming packaged peanut butter would be because of the increased use of preservatives in them. Though these preservatives are given a go ahead by the health officials, it is difficult to predict the effect of these chemicals on the human body.

There have been studies which show the cancer inducing property of preservatives such as BHA which is used increasing in peanut butter. The increased consumption of peanut butter especially among kids can be a cause of serious concern. It is best to eat home made fresh peanut butter.

Along with preservatives the addition of palm oil or other fatty acid glycerides is common. This increases the saturated fat content. Sugar is also added in most cases, this again can lead to an increase in calories and hence the onset of obesity.

Health Benefits of Peanut Butter

It gives you all the benefits you may acquire by eating peanuts in the raw state, which is the best way to go about it. Peanuts are rich in protein, fat, iron, niacin and fiber. Don't overdo you intake of peanuts or peanut butter, an average body may have a requirement of 30-40 grams of protein which is easily obtained from the normal diet. Eating peanut butter on regular basis may lead to obesity in some cases.