PB&J sandwiches are practically a food group in many school lunchrooms in North America. The Peanut Advisory Board (now the Southern Peanut Growers) estimated in 2009 that the average American kid ate around 1,500 PB&J sandwiches before graduating from high school. The National Peanut Board’s most recent study, conducted by the Bantam Group in November 2021, found that 80% of adults 18+ had purchased or consumed peanuts, peanut butter, or a peanut product in the prior month. Are you one of them?
Mine is. I love peanut butter, whether I slather it onto a slice of whole-grain bread, mix it into a curry sauce, or meld it into a warm, satisfying soup.
One of my secret late-night snacks is a banana dipped in peanut butter. (Oops, the secret’s out.) I also smear it into the grooves of celery sticks. And my dad used sometimes to spread peanut butter on a slice of cantaloupe!
There are endless ways to enjoy peanut butter, but that leads me to an important question. Can a food that tasty and creamy actually be good for you?
If you’re in the 2% of people who have a peanut allergy, the answer is clearly no — cases of anaphylactic shock that can arise from peanut exposure can be life-threatening. And if you suffer from arachibutyrophobia (the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth, which is a real thing that’s probably related to a more generalized fear of choking), the nutritional profile of peanut butter may also be beside the point. But for the rest of us, let’s explore the humble peanut and see what’s what.
Peanut Butter Basics
Did you know that peanuts aren’t nuts? Botanically speaking, they’re actually legumes, in the same family as beans, peas, and lentils. But from culinary and nutritional perspectives, they are indeed very much like nuts.
Grind roasted peanuts into a paste and voila! You’ve got peanut butter.
Who came up with the idea of mashing up peanuts, anyway?
George Washington Carver, an American botanist and inventor, is often erroneously credited with inventing peanut butter. Carver did find a lot of uses for peanuts — over 300 to be exact — but (mythbusting alert!) peanut butter wasn’t one of them.
There’s evidence that, long before Carver, roasted peanuts were being ground up by the Aztecs and Incas.
In the 19th century, peanut butter turned into a commercially available product thanks to several enterprising businesspeople. Marcellus Gilmore Edson patented peanut paste in 1884. In 1895, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (the corn flake fellow) patented a new process for making peanut butter and then advertised it as a protein for people without teeth.
You can now find peanut butter-flavored everything, from cookies to snack bars to cereals. Peanut butter itself comes blended with many flavors now, too — chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, maple, and even cookie dough.
Peanut Butter Nutrition
People love peanut butter because it’s affordable, simple, versatile, and (to most people, though definitely not everyone), delicious. Is it also nutritious? Let’s see what it has to offer.
1) Peanuts Provide Healthy Plant Protein
Around 25% of the calories in peanuts come from protein, making them a great plant-based protein source. For you number-crunchers, that comes out to about 8 grams of protein per 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter. (And for those of us who’ve been known to eat it straight from the jar with a spoon, two tablespoons sure feels like a serving.)
Peanuts offer more protein than any actual nuts. They also contain all 20 amino acids used by the human body, including arginine, which is important for heart health.
2) Peanuts Have Complex Carbohydrates and Fiber
Peanut butter contains complex carbohydrates. And if you’re eating one of the natural varieties with no added sugar, it’s low on the glycemic index scale, so it won’t spike your blood sugar.
Peanut butter also provides fiber (about 1 gram per tablespoon), which will help you feel fuller longer. That fiber feeds not only you; it also nourishes the beneficial bacteria in your microbiome so they have enough energy to do their important work on your behalf.
3) Peanuts Contain Important Vitamins, Minerals, and Are Nutrient-Dense
Peanuts are a rich source of manganese, niacin, vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus. They also provide a wide range of antioxidants, boasting as many antioxidants as strawberries. (That was unfair; I’ve never heard a peanut boast about anything. For all their goodness, they’re quite humble.) Despite their humble demeanor, peanuts are both energy- and nutrient-dense. They’re also a highly filling food.
Because they’re so filling, peanuts have been used as an important source of nutrition for people on difficult expeditions to remote areas and under challenging conditions. Peanuts have helped people travel to Antarctica, fly into space, and trek all over the world. Peanuts have also played a crucial role in confronting malnutrition in several African countries.
The downside of peanut butter’s energy density is that it’s possible to eat too much. Those 2 innocent tablespoons I (I mean someone) just scooped out of the jar contain 194 calories, including over 15 grams of fat. While the role of fat in weight gain is hotly debated, it’s reasonable to think that, if used as a staple food and eaten in large quantities, peanut butter might not help you lose weight.
Health Benefits of Peanut Butter
With all those nutrients, you might suspect that peanut butter confers health benefits. And you might be right, too!
1) Peanuts Can Decrease Cell Damage and Inflammation
All those antioxidants in peanuts help your body counteract oxidative stress that can lead to chronic disease.
Peanuts contain one particularly potent antioxidant, resveratrol, which may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
2) Peanuts Can Be Good for Your Heart
A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the impacts of nut consumption on mortality risk among just under 72,000 European and African Americans of low socioeconomic status.
They found that those individuals who ate the most nuts — especially peanuts (which they considered a “nut for the purposes of the study”) — had the lowest risk of death overall and from cardiovascular disease, in particular.
3) Peanuts Can Help Prevent Cancer
A 2018 study in the Nutrition Journal looked at peanut, pine nut, and almond consumption among 923 colorectal cancer patients and 1,846 controls in Korea. For both men and women, a higher intake of nuts (at least 3 servings per week) was strongly associated with a reduced risk for colorectal cancer.
A 2013 study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment followed 9,000 preteen girls for 15 years and found that those who ate peanut butter regularly had a 39% lower risk of developing benign breast disease as young women. This matters because certain forms of benign breast disease are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer later in life.
4) Peanuts Can Help Keep Your Brain Healthy
Peanuts are rich in unsaturated fats, vitamin E, and B vitamins, all of which are important for brain health.
Some studies have shown that eating nuts can help improve cognition, memory, and recall. The 2020 ARISTOTLE study and related lab findings suggest that peanut and peanut butter consumption may benefit brain function and reduce stress in healthy adults, possibly due to bioactive compounds like polyphenols and antioxidants.
Other studies have found that peanuts, in particular, produce a specific brainwave associated with better sleep, improved immunity, and the body’s natural healing ability.
And the niacin in peanuts has been found to be beneficial in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
5) Peanuts Can Help Fight Stress
No, I’m not talking about feeling better after stress-eating a few tablespoons straight from the jar. Peanut butter contains a phytosterol called beta-sitosterol, which has been shown to help normalize high cortisol levels in studies of endurance athletes.
Cortisol is also known as the body’s stress hormone, so eating peanut butter may help manage feelings of anxiety.
The Controversial Side of Peanut Butter
The ingredient list for peanut butter can be as simple as: peanuts.
Some manufacturers, though, add ingredients to change the flavor and texture, and even alter the nutritional profile. Some of these additives can be downright dangerous.
Where and how peanuts used to make peanut butter are grown can also affect the healthfulness of the end product.
6 Things to Consider Avoiding in Your Peanut Butter
While peanut butter requires only “ground peanuts,” some commercial varieties contain problematic substances. In addition, even some “peanut-only” brands may raise health concerns.
1. Sugar
Sugar is used to add sweetness to peanut butter. I was recently at the store looking for a new brand of peanut butter to try, and was appalled by how many of them (even varieties labeled “natural”) contained added sugar.
I’m sure you don’t need another lecture on the health problems that are caused by added sugar. It’s a primary culprit behind obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and practically every other major chronic disease of our times. And it’s not just in donuts and candy. A surprising amount of the sugar in the modern diet is snuck in as an additive to foods (like peanut butter!).
(If you would like to explore the problems with refined sugar, and discover some healthier alternatives, without a lecture, check out our comprehensive article here: “Exploring the Healthiest Sugar Alternatives: A Comprehensive Guide to Types of Sweeteners.”)
Both Skippy and Jif regular peanut butters feature sugar as the second ingredient, with Skippy adding 4 grams per 2-tablespoon serving and Jif slightly less.
2. Salt
Salted peanut butter can contain 50 to 75 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon.
If you use peanut butter frequently and want to minimize your sodium intake, look for unsalted versions. Relatedly, if you make your own peanut butter at home, purchase unsalted peanuts.
3. Oil
As if 15 grams of fat in every 2 tablespoons wasn’t enough, many peanut butters also contain added oils.
Some of the biggest peanut butter brands, like Skippy, use fully hydrogenated oil, which has been linked to many health problems, including heart disease.
Many of the more natural brands of “no-stir” peanut butter contain added palm oil. In addition to being a source of saturated fat, this comes with ethical concerns. Palm oil plantations are a major driver of deforestation in the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Bulldozing old-growth forests to plant rows of oil palms destroys the homes of Native people and already endangered species, like orangutans.
There are also reports of palm oil corporations violating human rights. Farmland and forests are cleared without permission, and the companies involved provide unsafe working conditions and inadequate pay to their workers. If you’re going to eat palm oil and you don’t want to contribute to these major problems, look for a “fair trade” certification as a step in the right direction.
4. Aflatoxins
You may be surprised to learn that peanuts don’t grow on trees or bushes. They grow underground. And since they grow best in hot climates, they’re susceptible to fungal infections. When it’s humid as well as hot, some of these fungi produce a class of toxins known as aflatoxins. They’re concerning because they have been known to increase cancer risk in humans.
Peanuts are not the only potential culprit here; other foods at risk for containing aflatoxins include corn, figs, cereals, cottonseed, and tree nuts.
How do you choose peanut butter with the lowest amount of aflatoxins?
DrWeil.com reports that when Consumers Union tested a variety of peanut butter brands, the lowest aflatoxin concentrations were found in the best-known brands, while the highest levels occurred in fresh ground peanut butter at supermarkets. The National Cancer Institute of the U.S. National Institutes of Health recommends buying only “major commercial brands of nuts and nut butters” to avoid this contaminant.
In general, I’m a fan of fresh foods and local production. But due to the aflatoxin concern, when it comes to peanut butter, it seems wise to opt for a variety produced by a well-known company that contains only peanuts (and maybe salt) as ingredients.
This is one food where it’s best to steer clear of the bulk bins and “fresh ground” found in many natural foods stores.
If you choose to purchase your own peanuts and grind your own butter at home, be sure to examine and throw out any nuts that don’t look right. Moldy, shriveled, or discolored peanuts belong in the compost pile, not in your peanut butter.
And as a side note, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found some evidence that certain plant compounds may counteract the negative effects of aflatoxins. These include chlorophyll in green vegetables like spinach and phytochemicals in root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips. (Here at Food Revolution Network, we can’t resist praising fresh produce, even in an article about peanut butter!)
5. Pesticides
Unless you buy organic peanut butter, the jar likely contains pesticides.
According to the USDA Pesticide Data Program, 13 pesticides are commonly found in peanut butter.
The most common is called piperonyl butoxide, a known endocrine disruptor, a possible carcinogen, and a threat to honeybees.
When consuming peanut butter, the best way to reduce your exposure to pesticides is to purchase a certified organic brand.
6. Genetically Modified Ingredients
Another reason to avoid peanut butters with added hydrogenated oil is that the oil used usually comes from a genetically modified crop.
Rapeseed, soybean, or cottonseed oil are some of the most commonly used. The majority of these crops are genetically modified in the United States and Canada.
There’s been talk of another genetically modified component that may eventually reach jars of peanut butter everywhere: allergy-free peanuts.
Researchers can edit peanut genes in experimental settings and are actively working to reduce allergenic proteins, but this hasn’t yet produced peanut products that are safe for people with peanut allergies to eat or are available to consumers. Extensive additional research, testing, and regulatory approval are still required. And there are some doubts about whether the result would be as rosy as promised, but it is something to keep in mind for the future if you want to avoid GMOs, or on the flip side, if you or someone in your household has a peanut allergy. (For more on GMOs, also known as bioengineered foods, see our article here.)
A Note on Peanut Allergies
Odds are you know someone with a peanut allergy.
What’s interesting is that there’s evidence that suggests we might not be as allergic to food itself as we are to what’s being done to food.
For instance, in the United States, our food system is teeming with GMOs, artificial flavorings and ingredients, fillers, chemicals, and dyes. Peanut butter is no exception.
Peanut allergies have seen a dramatic increase in the last generation. Around 2.5% of children are now allergic to peanuts, which is a 21% increase since 2010.
The good news is that we’re more aware of this as a society, medical professionals are better equipped to diagnose and treat them, and parents have more ways to help prevent their kids from developing peanut allergies.
In 2017, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases released new guidelines recommending that high-risk infants — those with severe eczema or egg allergy — be introduced to peanut-containing foods as early as 4 to 6 months of age to reduce their risk of developing peanut allergy.
And it goes without saying, but it’s worth saying again: If you have a peanut allergy, don’t eat peanuts.
How to Choose the Healthiest Peanut Butter
To select the best quality, healthiest peanut butter, here are some guidelines:
- Choose organic to reduce pesticide and GMO exposure
- Make sure it contains only peanuts, without unnecessary extras like sugar and oils
- Avoid the bulk bins and little-known brands due to aflatoxin risk
- Choose kinds that separate; healthy peanut butter needs stirring
Making your own peanut butter is also incredibly easy.
In a high-speed blender or food processor, simply add peanuts and blend until a paste forms. You can even add a little cinnamon, vanilla, raisins, or dates to give it a different flavor.
The Verdict: (The Right) Peanut Butter Can Be Healthy
Most of the peanut butter eaten today is loaded with added sugars, salt, and genetically engineered hydrogenated oil. Then it’s often paired with sugary jam and smeared on white flour bread.
Unless you work for the Skippy PR department, you’ll probably agree with me that this is not a healthy way to eat.
But it’s not the peanut’s fault!
A healthy peanut butter made with nothing more than peanuts can be a fabulous addition to most people’s diets. It’s a remarkably affordable source of abundant protein and fiber, as well as many other nutrients. And it tastes pretty good, too!
Tell us in the comments:
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Do you eat peanut butter? Why or why not?
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If you do, what are your favorite ways to enjoy it?
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Now that you know the answer to the question “Is peanut butter good for you?”, do you have any other questions about peanut butter?
