If you’re like most Americans you grew up eating PB&J. It is estimated that children consume about 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the time they graduate high school. But the love of peanut butter knows no age limit as 89 percent of households in this country consume it regularly.

Despite it’s popularity, there seems to be some debate about whether it’s really good for you. Some call peanut butter a superfood, while others believe it’s too high in fat and calories to be healthy. We’ll give you the facts and let you decide.

What is Peanut Butter?

By law, any product labeled "peanut butter" in the United States must be comprised of at least 90 percent peanuts. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a physician wanting to help patients eat more plant-based protein, patented his procedure for making peanut butter in 1895.

Benefits of Peanut Butter:

• Peanut butter is a good source of vitamin E, vitamin B6, folate, niacin, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese – which are vitamins and minerals essential for our body’s strength and health.
• Peanut butter is chock-full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. A recent study found that insulin-resistant adults who ate a diet high in monounsaturated fat had less belly fat than people who ate more carbohydrates or saturated fat.
• Peanut butter is naturally cholesterol-free and trans-fat free.
• Peanut butter has been found to contain phytochemicals (or plant chemicals), which are thought to be beneficial to health. In fact, resveratrol, a phytochemical that is also found in grapes and red wine, is present in peanuts and peanut butter.
• Peanut butter is an excellent source of protein, which your body needs to keep your muscles, skin, bones and other tissues healthy.
• Peanut butter can help you lose weight. It has the enviable combination of fiber (2 g per serving) and protein (8 g per serving) that fills you up and keeps you feeling full longer, so you eat less overall.
• Research shows that eating peanuts can decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions.
• Once study found that consuming 1 ounce of nuts or peanut butter (about 2 tablespoons) at least 5 days a week can lower the risk of developing diabetes by almost 30%.

How to Buy the Best

Most brands have about the same amount of fat and calories, but there are some other factors such as sodium, sugar and fat-substitutes that make some a better pick.

• Look for brands that contain about 40-60 mg of sodium per 2-tablespoon serving. Too much sodium can mask the peanut flavor.
• Natural brands usually have 1-2 grams of sugar per serving—that’s about half as much as commercial brands. If you are using peanut butter for making savory sauces like satay or combining with a sweet ingredient like jelly, you can save a few calories by choosing an unsweetened brand.
• Choose natural or organic brands for the best peanut flavor.

A Little Goes a Long Way

At about 190 calories for 2 tablespoons, the only potential downside to peanut butter is its calorie count. So, watch your portion sizes and savor every gooey bite.
For more information about the health benefits of nuts, read our Healthy Tips article about the top five healthiest nuts

Sources:

Prevention

Associated Content

National Peanut Board

LiveStrong

When it comes to building and maintaining strong bones as we age, we hear a lot about getting enough calcium and vitamin D. But research suggests that many other nutrients are also beneficial for bone health. Here they are along with some good food sources:

• Magnesium – About 60% of the magnesium in our bodies is found in our bones. Studies suggest that magnesium may improve bone mineral density, and not getting enough may interfere with our ability to process calcium. Sources:  Green Leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, potatoes, nuts, seeds and whole grains.  Smaller amounts are found in bananas, broccoli, raisins and shrimp
• Phosphorous -- Phosphorus is a component of every cell in our bodies and supports building bone and other tissue during growth. About 85% of the phosphorus in our bodies is found in our bones. Sources:  milk, yogurt, cheese, peas, meat, eggs and some cereals.
• Boron – may enhance calcium absorption. Sources:  Avocado, nuts, peanut butter, prune juice.
• Protein -- We use protein to build tissue during growth and to repair and replace tissue throughout life. We also need protein to help heal fractures. Sources:  Complete protein comes from animal sources including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt. Incomplete protein comes from plant sources including legumes, grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables.
• Potassium -- The role of potassium in bone health relates to the ability of potassium salts to neutralize bone-depleting metabolic acids. Sources:  Milk, yogurt, chicken, turkey, fish, many fruits such as bananas, raisins and cantaloupe, and many vegetables such as celery, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes.

The following vitamins and minerals help certain enzymes and local regulators function properly which in turn helps our bodies form the optimal bone matrix or structure for bone strength. More...

Reducing the amount of salt in your daily diet certainly makes a great impact on your health, but what if you really, REALLY like it in your foods? Korean scientists may have found a tasty, healthy alternative in bamboo salts.

Used in Korea to promote better health, bamboo salts were prepared long ago by putting sea salts in bamboo shoots and baking it two to three times with pine tree firewood, although the modern baking process has been lengthened to at least nine times. Researchers compared the culinary effects of bamboo salts baked twice and nine times, respectively, to commercial table salt by preparing meat-based batters with each condiment.

From a chemical standpoint, meat batter made with ordinary table salt scored the lowest of the three substances in terms of color and flavor, very important measures when you're making a gravy from tasty bits of meat.

Conversely, bamboo salts possessed higher pH levels (due to elevated levels of alkali, calcium and potassium), and better viscosity, texture, cooking yield, emulsion stability and water-holding capacity. Perhaps, these results will lead to further research on potential uses for bamboo salts in processed meat products, researchers say.

Meat Science, Vol. 86, No. 4, p. 960-965, December 2010

FoodNavigator.com September 24, 2010