Peanut Butter?

Ok my friends, we have all been talking about peanut butter often..I myself can eat it by the spoonful so I was trying to find out if there is something in peanut butter that is making us go crazy over want of it..so far I have not found anything...but I did find some information it was interesting reading...I hope it is helpful...sorry it is so long... Peanuts Nutrition - Nuts about Good Health! By Lisa Mosing, MS, RD, FADA, Special to LifeScript Monday, July 12, 2004 Snacking on nuts may improve your health according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This study found that a possible benefit of higher nut and peanut butter consumption was a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in women. However, in order to avoid an excess in calories, make sure to use nut consumption in place of refined grain products, like crackers or cookies. In another study published in the International Journal of Obesity, consuming peanuts and peanut butter was a valuable way to control hunger without weight gain. This research study discovered that subjects who snacked on peanuts and peanut butter adjusted their caloric intake and they did not add extra calories to their daily diets. The participants feeling of fullness lasted longer with nuts than with a typical portion of other snacks, such as rice cakes. An added benefit was that noshing on peanuts also improved subjects' daily diets. The daily diet improvement was thought to be due to the reduction in saturated fat intake and the increase in healthful monounsaturated fats from snacking on peanuts. These two studies help support other research which has shown that eating peanuts and nuts in moderation does not promote weight gain and may reduce the risk of heart disease. Researchers found that the women who ate the most nuts, more than half a cup per week, were 35% less likely to develop heart disease or suffer a heart attack than women who rarely ate nuts in the Nurses' Health Study. And, the cardiac benefits extend to men as well according to the Physicians' Health Study. Nutrition in a Nutshell Peanuts are legumes, like beans, peas and lentils, and not true nuts. Another name for peanuts is groundnuts. An ounce of peanuts, which is about 28 nuts, has 170 calories, 14 grams of fat with 7 grams of monounsaturated fat, 7 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. Additionally, peanuts have 10% of the daily value of vitamin E, and 10% of the daily value of magnesium and phosphorus as well as folate. For those are eating more meatless meals, such as children and vegetarians, you will be glad that peanut butter has more protein than any other legume or nut. That is great news for mothers who worry when toddlers will eat only peanut butter sandwiches. In addition, those who are eating more meatless meals for better health may include more nuts in place of other proteins if desired. Peanuts contain many phytochemicals found in plant foods. Phytochemicals are natural substances found in plant foods that may provide a range of health benefits, such as reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. One of the phytochemicals, called resveratrol, is found in peanuts as well as the skins of red fruits such as grapes and red wine. A study published in the Journal Nutrition and Cancer found that peanuts and peanut products contained a substance called phytosterol beta-sitosterol that may offer protection from breast, prostate and colon cancer. Although eating peanuts is healthful, it should be in a context of a healthy diet. If you fear your family is short changing nutrients, consider supplementation. Jannine 357/163/157

ok so that makes me feel a little better for the mini shovels of PB that go in my mouth on a daily basis?? maybe we can form a support group just about peanut butter (and nuts**** Mama talked about pb being her "crack" for some time, maybe she can be our sponsor and help us get off the "crack"

Hurry someone let Barbara know she is off the hook for beating her self off the hook about eating nuts. I will restrain myself and not make any comments about "crack". Thanks for the good information. Rick

Whoo hooo! I do love my peanut butter! When I feel really hungry, I can eat one tablespoon of peanut butter and make it to my next meal. It really does fill me up. Thanks for sharing the article! Hugs, Stephanie

I haven't been reading the posts lately so I wasn't aware of the pb discussion. But, I LOVE my peanut butter. I like that it is sweet but not a bad sweet. Makes me feel like I am getting to eat a treat and getting some good protein to boot. Thanks for the info Jannine. My favorite pb is Simply Jif, has less sugar but isn't as dry as the reduced fat. I do not like the Smart Balance PB. That was yucky. Haven't honestly tried any of the "natural" pb's but the numbers seem to be pretty close to simply jif. Robin