And not all kinds are as good for you as others.
Same goes for those creative eats, like a sandwich known as “the Elvis.”
Calorie count: approximately 8,000.
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But peanut butter has some downsides, too.
Read on to determine if eating an Elvis, sans the cured meat perhaps, is right for you.
20 Healthiest Peanut ButtersRanked!
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13 Benefits of Eating Peanut Butter:
1.
You may lose weight.
Peanut butter is rich in two macronutrients that digest more slowly than carbohydratesprotein and fat.
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Peanut butter may help your heart.
Your body naturally produces the antioxidant, but production decreases as you age.
You may build more muscle.
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For more muscle foods, readThe Best Foods for Stronger Muscles After 50.
It may help ease muscle pain.
If you take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, you may want to make yourself a PB&J.
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In onestudy, 50 patients who were taking statins and reported muscle pain were split into two groups.
One group of 25 received coenzyme Q10 supplementation for 30 days while a control group took a placebo pill.
The result showed that CoQ10 supplementation reduced muscle pain in 75% of the patients.
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You’ll get the nutrition of beef without eating red meat.
You may side-step a stroke.
Peanuts and peanut butter aren’t as popular in Japan as they are here in the states.
You may reduce chronic inflammation.
Those same nutrients that are beneficial for stroke reduction are known to combat chronic low-grade inflammation, Ikehara says.
Magnesium, which is found in peanuts and peanut butter, is one of them.
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You may beat diabetes.
You’ll bolster your brainpower.
Low levels of acetylcholine have been linked to memory problems and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Otherresearchsuggests that eating nuts has an effect on brainwave activity, improving cognitive processing, recall and memory.
A scoop of peanut butter can clobber your cravings.
See how you feel.
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Just as a hard-boiled egg is a terrific craving crushing snack, so is peanut butter.
“Peanut butter is also a low-cost protein, so a budget-friendly choice as well.”
You may get a better night’s sleep.
If you’re tossing and turning and can’t get to sleep, try a tablespoon of peanut butter.
It’s great nutrition for older adults.
The high calorie content of peanut butter can be a downside if you’re watching your weight.
It may protect against cancer.
All these benefits may play a role in cancer prevention, too, she says.
Is peanut butter bad for you?
7 possible negative effects of eating it.
It could raise your blood sugar.
That can raise your blood glucose and may lead to insulin resistance.
Natural peanut butter usually contains just two ingredients, peanuts, and salt.
Too much may make you nutrient deficient.
“For example, peanut butter is low in the essential amino acid methionine.
It’s a building block protein responsible for many functions in the body.
Eating peanut butter wouldn’t provide an adequate amount.
Supplement your diet with oats, quinoa, and sunflower seeds, which have higher amounts.
It may make you bloated.
You might put on weight.
“Don’t assume a ‘low-fat’ peanut butter is healthier,” she says.
And some brands also add hydrogenated oils.”
You may get more unhealthy additives.
Even the name of the product can tip you off.
Consider, Jif Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread.
“The keyword is ‘spread’ because it is not 100% peanut butter,” says Best.
Like many other peanut butter products, it contains added sugar, palm oil and molasses.
It could trigger anaphylaxis.
The reaction can be mild or severe, called anaphylaxis, and cause the person to have difficulty breathing.
There’s a small risk of potential exposure to mold contamination.
“However, this is generally not a concern in the United States,” says Kovalenko.
“Regulations and quality control measures are in place to prevent such contamination.”
