Peanut butter is loaded with nutrition and is low in carbohydrates. It is a very healthy food with protein and unsaturated fat. The healthy fats of peanut butter keep you feeling full for a longer period of time. You’re supposed to limit the size of your portions as a diabetic, so peanut butter is great because it fills you up and is healthy for you.
Does Peanut Butter Affect Blood Sugar? Let’s find out.
Why is Peanut Butter Healthy for you?
Peanut butter dominates when it comes to nutrition. It has a high protein, high healthy fat content and low carbohydrates and for these reasons it will help to control your blood sugar.
Peanut butter is very good for heart conscious people too. People with diabetes should have no more than two tablespoons as a snack or at a meal. It’s high in calories so you should be careful.
The right amount of peanut butter is healthy. But you also want to be careful that you only consume peanut butter that is all natural. Some manufacturers tell you that it’s low fat peanut butter and the big issue with this is that they actually add more sugar. Low fat peanut butter- OUT!
For me, there’s nothing like the original and as long as you read the nutrition labels and know before you buy it, you’re good to go. It’s the carbohydrates that you want to watch out for. They can be sneaky! So be careful and read the labels.
The added sugars that these companies add only raise the carbohydrates and this in turn will affect your blood sugars in a negative way. You also want to make sure that there are never any trans fats in the product you buy. These and partially hydrogenated oils that are added should never be a part of your diet if you’re a diabetic.
Peanut Butter for Breakfast
Let’s have peanut butter for breakfast. Why? Because it will control your blood sugar levels for most of the rest of the day. It even can help if you’ve had a lunch that is high in carbs. Peanuts and peanut butter will fill you up more and provide an extraordinary reduction in your wanting to eat again for almost 12 hours. At the same time it will increase that feeling of fullness by secreting the PYY hormone.
Peanut Butter as a Snack
You can put peanut butter on almost anything and have a snack. A couple of tablespoons on whole grain toast, or on fruit such as a banana, or apple makes a great snack that is very healthy for you. Because a snack that is good for diabetics should have protein and fat, and carbohydrates too.
Health Benefits of Peanut Butter
Weight Loss
Peanuts can help with weight loss even if you’re on a diet and counting calories. The reason is because they contain more protein than other nuts. Two tablespoons contain 8 grams of protein. That coupled with high fiber and fat content and you have the perfect snack that tastes great and makes you feel full for hours!
Cholesterol Levels
The content of fat in peanut butter is comparable to the fat content in olive oil. It contains fats that are both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. This is beneficial because it doesn’t put your heart at any risk. And your heart is that important!
Type 2 Diabetes
Peanuts and peanut butter have been shown to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. The unsaturated fats improve insulin sensitivity. Two tablespoons of peanut butter a day will help accomplish this and can even reduce your risk of diabetes by 30% if you have it for 5 days in a row.
Vitamins
Peanut butter has many vitamins that are required for good health. Vitamin C will help to repair ulcers that are simple much faster and also help boost your immune system. Vitamin A is also known for being beneficial for your eyesight. And vitamin E is very important for your body to break apart blockages of fat in your arteries. This is a very positive thing for your body.
Protein
Another thing that peanut butter is loaded with is protein. Why protein is so important is because the proteins that we consume get converted to amino acids and are then used in every cell in the body for building and repairing. 100 grams of peanut butter contain a high amount of protein of between 25 and 30 grams. That’s the daily amount of protein to aim for! Protein is also great for losing weight.
Magnesium
You want to have food sources that contain magnesium and peanut butter is one of them. The reason you need magnesium is because it is an excellent controller of blood sugar levels. It also is great for helping to control your blood pressure and has a major part in the immunity, bone, and muscle development in your body.
Energy
A great energy booster first thing in the morning is peanut butter. It has calories that give you the early morning get-up-and-go.
I always used to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for years for lunch. Then I changed to just peanut butter and having it in small amounts for breakfast because of the energy it provides. It’s just perfect for me!
Potassium
If you want to help keep your nervous in good working order, keeping your blood pressure down, and help your kidneys working properly to filter your blood, then peanut butter with it’s potassium content will aid in doing just that.
Antioxidants
These are especially important because they fight against any free radicals which are the cause for cells that are damages that repair themselves and become abnormal. This could be the start of the possibilities of dementia, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Antioxidants help to prevent these from happening in the first place.
Inflammation
If your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to force blood through vessels that are restricted because of inflammation, then you are protecting your heart by consuming peanut butter or peanuts. They also reduce irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pain just by reducing the inflammation. Eating something as tasty and healthy as peanut butter to get these benefits is certainly a wise choice, don’t you think?
Gallstones
Eating peanut butter can reduce your risk of developing gallstones. Really? Yes! The peanuts in the peanut butter contain all the nutrients to keep any gallstones in check.
Your risk of developing gallstones and problems with your gallbladder while consuming peanut butter can decrease between 25 and 30%! It does contain fat but the healthy fat that is good for you. You just don’t want large amounts of peanut butter, so be careful.
Vitamin B3
The benefits of B3 help to lower your cholesterol and also aids in processing fats, carbohydrates, and proteins into energy for your body. It’s also beneficial for helping to maintain healthy hair, skin, and nails. Thumbs up on peanut butter for its vitamin B3!
Vitamin B6
The tissues in your body require oxygen and vitamin B6 combined with folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B 12 and zinc help vitamin B6 with the synthesis of the hemoglobin in red blood cells. Peanut butter contains vitamin B6. But don’t overdo it.
Health of Your Bones
If you want to have healthy bones, you need more magnesium and calcium and peanut butter to the rescue! It will help maintain and strengthen your bones and aid in preventing osteoporosis.
Skin
Since peanut butter has magnesium, protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamin B12, vitamin E, and antioxidants it can be extremely beneficial for nourishing your skin.
Cancer Risk
There have been studies done showing that a diet that contains a good amount of vitamin E decreases your risk of lung, stomach, liver, and colon cancers, just to name a few. Of course, peanut butter is packed with vitamin E!
Symptoms of Peanut Allergies
Allergies are sometimes serious and with peanuts that is definitely the case. Peanut allergies are very common and can be the cause of a serious allergic reaction. It only takes a small amount of peanuts or peanut butter to set off a major reaction. Some folks can’t even touch a peanut without some sort of reaction.
Adults don’t get nearly as many reactions as kids do. Some grow out of it fortunately while others must avoid them altogether for their entire lives. If you are allergic to peanuts you have a higher chance of being associated with other allergies.
Mild Symptoms & Signs:
- Nausea
- Runny nose
- Hives, small spots on the skin
- Itching or tingling around mouth
These symptoms that are mild can the the start of something more serious so you should take action to do something early on. Pay attention to these symptoms.
More Notable Symptoms & Signs:
These can be easily more noticeable and not pleasant to deal with.
- Stomach cramps
- Vomiting
- Wheezing
- Anxiety
- Swollen face, lips, or tongue
Reactions that are Life-Threatening:
These reaction are not the ones to fool around with and take chances with.
- Pulse racing
- Dizziness
- Throat swollen
- Breathing problems
- Loss of consciousness
- A drop in blood pressure
Common sense would indicate to call 911 and get immediate help! Do not hesitate! It’s your life!
In Conclusion
So Does Peanut Butter Affect Blood Sugar? I’m hoping that you see now why peanut butter is good and healthy for you and that it helps with your blood sugar. But you must exercise caution and not overdo it. Be sensible and it works to your advantage.
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This is a great article! I weight train and eat peanut butter often for the protein. I had no idea that peanut butter was this nutritious though. Peanut butter is a nice energy booster. I always have a bit more energy when I eat peanut butter with my breakfast. Which brand of peanut butter do you feel is best?
Thank you! I’ve always loved peanut butter and love the health benefits it has. It makes you feel fuller when you have it first thing in the morning.
I’m always partial to Peter Pan peanut butter. It’s always been my favorite. It’s great to have something to eat that tastes good and is so healthy for you. Thank you for your comments!
Cheers!
I never knew peanut butter was so good for you! I ate it A LOT when I was younger but have not really looked at it much as an adult. It is amazing that it has so many benefits. I have become more health conscious as I get older and take many of the vitamins that peanut butter naturally have has in it.
If I had known that it had so many vitamins, I would not have been buying daily supplements, I would have just just ate peanut butter!
And it seems like peanut butter should be a must for diabetics. I will definitely be adding peanut butter back into my diet and being sure to not only give my kids peanut butter in the snacks more often, but will educate them on its benefits so they can continue eating it as they grow!!
Thank you for making this information available on a site that is user friendly and easy to navigate!
Hi Angela! I ate a lot of peanut butter when I was a kid too and never realized how beneficial it is. And I agree that peanut butter is good if you have diabetes but should only be consumed in small amounts each time (2 tablespoons)
Peanut butter gives you protein and energy that you need but having it for breakfast also gives you that full feeling throughout the day which helps you lose weight and control your blood sugars.
“Spread” the word about peanut butter!
Thank you for your input!
Cheers!
~Rob