Is Peanut butter is good for your health?

Peanut butter is one of favorite food items for fitness folks & quite famous among adults & children. Although it satisfies our taste buds, a lot of folks have serious doubts about its health quotient. Let’s discuss this in detail.
Peanut butter is one of the rare food times that are both calorie & nutrient dense. It has all the essential nutrients that promotes healthy heart & improve blood sugar levels.

Peanut butter helps in both weight management & putting up pounds during weight training & body building. It is one of the great sources of good fat since out of 16 grams of fat in one serving( 32 grams), 14 grams are polyunsaturated & monounsaturated fats. It has high calorie content( remember 1 gram of fat~ 9 calories) & hence should be consumed in moderation. There are a lot of ways in which peanut butter can add a mouth watering taste your dishes/shakes. It can mixed with banana shake, used as a spread on a sandwich or can be consumed with apple as evening snacks.

Let us look at its nutritional value.

Peanut butter is rich in protein, food fat & have high content of micronutrients such as magnesium, potassium & zinc. It offers following nutrients per 1 serving ( 32 grams)

1. Protein: One scoop/serving of peanut butter provides 10 grams of protein which is counted towards recommended daily protein limit for both men( 56 grams) & women( 46 grams). This daily recommended requirement although varies by age & activity level.
2. Magnesium: One serving offers 57 milligrams of magnesium which contributed towards daily recommended limit of 400 to 420 grams for men & 300 to 310 grams for women. It is a known fact that magnesium plays a healthy role in various chemical processes that takes place in the body.
3. Phosphorus: Each serving contains 107 milligrams of phosphorus which accounts for around 15% of the daily recommended intake. Phosphorus helps in building healthy cells & bones which in turn helps in generating energy.
4. Zinc: One serving of peanut butter has 0.85 milligram of zinc which essential contributes to 7% of the daily recommended intake for men & 10.6% of daily recommended limit for women. Zinc helps in DNA formation, protein synthesis & building immunity. 
5. Niacin: One serving contains 4.21 milligrams of Niacin which accounts for 25% of the daily recommended limit of 14 mg to 16 mg. Niacin helps improve digestion & nerve function & helps produce energy.
6. Vitamin B6: One serving of Peanut butter provides 14% of recommended daily intake of Vitamin B-6 of 1.3 mg. Vitamin B6 in essential for healthy heart & better immune system & helps in  various enzyme reactions in our body.

Besides these health advantages, Peanut butter has high amount of calories per serving & each serving has about 6 mg of sodium which is pretty high. This is the reason that in spite of being nutrient sense, it is recommended to consume peanut butter in moderation.

Health benefits of Peanut Butter: 

1. Helps in weight loss: Peanuts & peanut butter is said to aid in weight loss as helps you feel full due to its high fat & fibre content. One serving contains 10 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat & 6 grams of carbs. Consuming nuts ( including peanuts) reducing the chances of obesity.
2. Improves Heart Health: Peanut butter is said to make heart healthier since it is rich in magnesium, Niacin, Zinc & Potassium. Besides, it has a high proportion of unsaturated fat. In order words it has similar healthy impact as olive oil ( high proportion of unsaturated fats).
3. Body & muscle building: With the given fact that peanut butter is high in calories & unsaturated fats, it is a great option for those looking for build muscles as minimum calorie requirement for bodybuilding for women is around 2400 calories per day & for men is 3000 calories per day. Therefore those looking to build some serious body do include peanut butter in their daily diet. Besides, peanut butter is also a great source of protein which helps in repairing & recovering muscles. Spreading peanut butter on whole grain bread makes a wholesome meal since bread contains amino acid methionine which peanut butter lacks.
4. Managing blood sugar level: Since peanut butter is low in carbs & does not have added sugar, it plays an important role in managing your blood sugar level & does not lead to sugar level spikes. It is also a great option when you are following keto diet. It is also a good option for those suffering from diabetes. It is also rich in magnesium which is great for people suffering from diabetes.

However, it is important to have a look at the label before buying a particular brand of peanut butter since some of the brands do increase sodium/other preservatives & adds more sugar which again defeats the purpose of consuming peanut butter.