Is Peanut Butter Good For You?

Avoid this specific type of peanut butter

On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m answering a viewer question who asked: is peanut butter good for you?

This is another video from our #TBT Q&A series.

These are questions from our #LLTV Q&A series, that we filmed for our Live Lean TV YouTube channel back in 2012.

So first, I’m going to share my answer to this question from 2012.

Then I’ll answer the same question again today, with more detail.

Alright Lets First Jump Back To 2012…

Yasmine says: Brad, what about peanut butter? Is peanut butter good for you? Please advise.

First of all, peanuts are not nuts.

Peanuts are legumes.

I like to focus my consumption on a variety of nuts including:

• Almonds
• Macadamias
• Walnuts
• Pecans

When compared to peanuts, most varieties of nuts contain:

• Better sources of macronutrients
• Higher quality of micronutrients from vitamins and minerals
• Better omega 6 fatty acids to omega 3 fatty acids ratio

So try to go with almond butter, macadamia butter, or walnut butter.

But if you’re going to eat peanut butter, make sure it just has one ingredient.

That ingredient would be peanuts.

Now Lets Fast Forward To My Answer Today

Is peanut butter good for you?

Well, yes and no.

As I said back in 2012, always look at the ingredients label, especially when it comes to peanut butter.

Although I am a big fan consuming a lot of healthy fats in your diet, I’m also very adamant about eliminating unhealthy fats.

The main type of unhealthy fat is the chemically altered, man made, trans fats.

Although you won’t see “trans fat” listed on the ingredients label, you should avoid ingredients that list “partially hydrogenated oil”.

The most common partially hydrogenated oils to avoid include:

• soybean oil
• rapeseed oil
• cottonseed oil

The overconsumption of these partially hydrogenated trans fats has been linked:

• cancer
• diabetes
• heart disease
• metabolic syndrome

Now, I’m sharing all of this because a lot of unhealthy brands of peanut butter contain these partially hydrogenated oils, as well as sugar.

I shared an example of this on a previous episode of Food Wars, where I compared almond butter vs peanut butter.

So go look in your kitchen right now and if your peanut butter ingredients lists partially hydrogenated oil, throw it out.

Is Natural Peanut Butter Good For You?

Well, the opinions on peanut butter is mixed.

First of all, let me blow your mind.

Peanuts are not nuts, they’re legumes.

Plus, there has been talk of peanut butter containing a fungus that produces something called aflatoxin.

In high doses, aflatoxin can be a carcinogen for the liver.

However, the heating and roasting of the peanuts, may reduce the risk.

Also, if you’re concerned with the lectins and phytic acid, this is also reduced during the heating of the peanut butter.

What Are Lectins?

Lectins are found in certain plants and are known as anti-nutrients, which can cause digestive issues.

Think of lectins as a plants protection from being eaten by animals, including humans.

What Is Phytic Acid?

Phytic acid can bind to minerals in the GI tract, therefore stopping the body from properly absorbing them.

This may potentially lead to mineral deficiencies.

But again, the heating of the peanut butter may reduce these issues.

Bottom Line: Is Peanut Butter Good For You?

I usually prefer nut butter, as it tends to have a better omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, however peanut butter is fine in moderation.

When I say moderation, I mean a spoonful, not five spoonfuls.

But again, be aware that there are unhealthy types of peanut butter.

Always go with the dry roasted peanut butter that does not contain any of those partially hydrogenated oils that I mentioned earlier.

The ingredients should list, peanuts and maybe some salt.

Enjoy.

Check out this post about the healthiest type of nuts and learn why I prefer nuts over peanuts and peanut butter.