Conventional vs. Natural Peanut Butter

First of all, it is important to distinguish the type of peanut butter that we are talking about. Most people think of the plastic bins at the grocery store with red or blue lids which distinguish the difference between creamy or crunchy.  These conventional brands of peanut butter are definitely “off-limits,” because they are packed with many unhealthy ingredients: sugar, salt, soybean oil, and more.  Stay away from the highly processed peanut butter!

But, what about the freshly ground peanut butter, or those brands that only have a little bit of salt added?  It seems like a better option, because you are staying away from the added sugar and oil.  If you choose to eat peanut butter, then it is better to choose the natural kind instead of the junk-filled regular brands on the grocery store shelves.  There are still a few problems that you will run into with natural peanut butter though, which means that you should consider excluding it from your diet all together.

Aflatoxins in Peanut Butter

When peanuts are grown, they are actually underground where they can be infected by different types of fungus.  One common fungus to grow on peanuts is Aspergillus, which is a source of aflatoxins.  Short-term exposure to these toxins don’t seem to have much of an impact on human health, but there have been some suggestions that aflatoxin might be connected with long-term health problems, such as mental retardation, stunted growth, and liver cancer.

The good news is that the process to grind the peanut butter helps to remove the aflatoxins by as much as 89%.  So, if you choose to eat peanuts, then it is best to consume them in the peanut butter form instead of eating the whole peanut.

Other Undesirable Compounds: Agglutinin and Atherogenic Oil

Agglutinin and atherogenic oil are two other compounds within peanuts that have been linked with health concerns.  At this point, the research is still speculative, so you will need to decide for yourself if you want to take the risk of eating peanut butter.

Some of the potential health concerns from these compounds include cancers relating to inflammatory bowel diseases.  Other researchers have suggested a link between peanut consumption and heart health, although there is conflicting information about whether the peanuts are beneficial or detrimental to heart health.

Portion Control Problems

One of the main health problems that people often run into with peanut butter is portion control.  It is so tasty, and not as satiating as other types of food.  If you are trying to maintain a healthy weight, or if you are working on your weight loss goals, then it is important that you monitor the amount of peanut butter that you are eating.  It can be easy to take a bite… and before you know it, the jar is empty.

Obesity researchers have looked at the concept of “peanut butter addiction,” and they have found that mice and rats consistently over-eat peanut butter when it is available.  The combination of protein, salt, and fat is very addicting, and it could potentially result in an increase in calorie consumption since a small portion is very dense in calories.

Another problem with peanut butter is the fact that it is often paired with other unhealthy foods.  For example, a peanut butter sandwich is loaded with refined grains in the form of bread, and way too much sugar in the form of honey or jam.  Most people can’t eat just one “PBJ”, they want 2 or 3 before they are satisfied.

So, should you eat peanut butter or avoid it?  The best rule of thumb is to consider it a treat, and eat it in moderation.  But, if you find that you are having a hard time limiting the amount that you are eating, then you might consider avoiding it all together.

Keep in mind that there are other healthier nut options like almond butter, walnut butter and my favorite macadamia nut butter.  Macadamia has the lowest amount of omega-6 fats relative to other nuts which all have high omega-6 fat content.  That being said, it’s still nut butter and in the end no matter what kind of nut butter you choose, you still need to have portion control.