5 health benefits of peanut butter
What's the story
Peanut butter is a globally consumed food, but the USA is where it is eaten the most. Peanut butter is prepared from roasted peanuts ground into a paste. It can simply be slathered on a toast or turned into a dessert. The butter provides three essential nutrients-- proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Let us take a look at some of its health benefits.
#1
It promotes heart health
Research suggests that peanut butter has a substance called p-coumaric acid, which aids in combating oxidative stress on the cells of the body. Oxidation is known to be a cause of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Peanut butter also contains oleic acid that helps you regulate your blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure, resulting in a reduced risk of heart diseases.
#2
Helps in building body muscles
Peanut butter is high in calories and is an excellent food for people who are into bodybuilding. The heightened amount of unsaturated fat and proteins in this butter helps in repairing and building your body. A slice of whole-grain bread and peanut butter can make your protein meal complete because bread has amino acid methionine which isn't present in peanut butter.
#3
It can help protect against neurodegenerative diseases
Peanuts have a good amount of niacin, a form of vitamin B3 which prevents brain health issues like Alzheimer's. Vitamin B3 prevents brain cells from any kind of damage, thus protecting us from several brain disorders. Studies have shown that people who ate skin roasted peanuts experienced "immediate" memory recall and those who ate peanut butter experienced an overall improvement in memory function.
#4
Peanut butter can aid weight management
The healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in this butter can lower the risk of obesity and weight gain if consumed in moderation. Moreover, peanut butter takes longer to digest which reduces our hunger pangs. Since it is a great source of protein and helps in fat loss, you may even witness a better metabolism with its consumption.
#5
It can reduce the risk of gallstones
Having peanut butter around five times a week can largely help cut back the risk of gallstones. It is because gallstones are cholesterol stones which occur due to high amount of bad cholesterol in the body. The presence of healthy fats in peanut butter enhances the amount of good cholesterol and reduces bad cholesterol which reduces the chances of developing such diseases.