Peanut butter is, for a lot of people a pleasure and, for a lot of gym-goers, very much a guilty pleasure!
Peanut butter can be easily made by simply throwing a bag of roasted, salted peanuts into a blender. Once the nuts have been broken down they release their own oils and there you have your own peanut butter.
At the top of the peanut butter list of positives is its high protein factor.
Typically, 100 grammes of peanut butter contains 20 grams of carbohydrates and 25 grams of protein, with the balance being made up of fat. Also, although rich in protein, peanut butter is also low in the essential amino acid, methionine.
On the positive side, peanut butter causes a very low rise in blood sugar after eating, though its high-fat content should be respected. Half of the fat in peanut butter is actually made up of oleic acid, which is a healthy type of monounsaturated fat, also found in high amounts in olive oil.
Oleic acid, for its part, has been linked to various health benefits, including improved insulin sensitivity. Peanut butter also contains linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid abundant in most vegetable oils.
Peanut Butter Is also rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, B3, B5, B6, folate, magnesium, copper, manganese, biotin, iron, potassium, zinc and selenium.
Finally, peanut butter contains antioxidants such as p-coumaric acid.
So, there are a lot of good things about peanut butter and also a few negatives. It’s fairly rich in nutrients and is certainly a decent protein source. It’s also a high-fibre food and packed with vitamins, minerals and calories.
But watch how much of it that you eat and, perhaps more importantly, how much you burn when working out in the gym (or out of it!).