The United States Department of Agriculture classifies peanut butter as part of the oil food group, due to the nuts' high fat content, as well as the protein food group. Women should consume 5 to 6 teaspoons of oils daily and 5 to 5.5 ounce equivalents of protein, while men need 6 to 7 teaspoons of oil and 5.5 to 6.5 ounce equivalents of protein. Each 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter counts as 4 teaspoons of oil and 2 ounce equivalents of protein, contributing significantly to your fat and protein for the day. Peanut butter also contains essential nutrients, which can benefit your health.
Some of the benefits of peanut butter come from the food's healthy fat content. Peanut butter contains unsaturated fats, nutrients that lower the levels of harmful cholesterol in your bloodstream, helping to reduce your risk of heart disease. Peanut oil might also provide specific cardiovascular benefits. An animal study published in 2010 in the "Journal of Food Science" indicates that compounds in peanuts prevent and slow the development of atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by a narrowing of the arteries. While the effects of peanut butter on atherosclerosis in humans is not yet fully understood, eating peanut butter might offer some cardiovascular benefits.
Peanut butter provides a source of manganese, an essential mineral. Manganese helps activate enzymes involved in removing toxic ammonia from your body, breaking down nutrients from your diet and protecting your cells from physiological stress. Manganese also contributes to tissue growth, supporting healthy bone development and wound healing after injury. Each 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter provides your body with 0.58 milligrams of magnesium, 32 percent of the recommended daily intake for women or 25 percent for men, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Eating peanut butter also benefits your health due to the food's niacin, or vitamin B-3, content. Like manganese, vitamin B-3 supports your metabolism -- it helps carry out chemical reactions involved in the breakdown of nutrients into useable energy. Consuming foods rich in niacin also promotes healthy cell communication, regulating your cells' growth and development into mature tissue. Consuming 2 tablespoons of peanut butter provides your body with 4.4 milligrams of vitamin B-3 -- 28 and 31 percent of the recommended daily intake for men and women, respectively, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Although it has a place in a balanced diet, peanut butter should be consumed in moderation. Peanut butter represents an energy-dense food, which means that it provides a high number of calories in a relatively small serving -- 188 calories per 2-tablespoon serving, to be exact. Practice portion control when eating peanut butter to avoid over-consuming calories and to avoid exceeding the daily oil intake recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At the grocery store, select all-natural varieties of peanut butter that contain only peanuts, avoiding processed peanut butter that contains added sugar and salt.
Articles For Your Diet
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Peanut Butter, Chunk Style, with Salt
- Colorado State University Extension: Cholesterol and Fats
- Journal of Food Science: Peanuts, Peanut Oil, and Fat Free Peanut Flour Reduced Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and the Development of Atherosclerosis in Syrian Golden Hamsters.
- Linus Pauling Institute: Manganese
- Linus Pauling Institute: Niacin
- USDA ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Much Is My Allowance for Oils?
- USDA ChooseMyPlate.gov: What Counts as an Ounce Equivalent in the Protein Foods Group?
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