Peanut butter is a controversial product. On the one hand, peanut butter is one of the healthiest snacks around and it’s full of healthy fats. It’s also rich in antioxidants and minerals like phosphorus and magnesium. On the other hand, there are many consumers who are allergic to peanuts or who experience digestive distress when they consume peanut products. For some people, this can trigger an inflammatory response that can result in food-related illnesses like anaphylaxis. For others, it can be a sign of a more serious food allergy that requires them to avoid peanut products altogether. While there is some evidence that eating a restricted amount of peanuts or peanut-containing foods may help some people with an allergy, most experts believe this to be unhelpful for those with a true peanut allergy. Read on to learn more about whether there’s anything you should worry about when you start eating more peanuts or peanut-based foods.
Is There Bugs in Peanut Butter?
There are no specific bugs in peanut butter, as it is a safe food. However, some people have been experiencing allergic reactions to peanut butter. It’s best to avoid eating peanut butter if you are sensitive to any other nuts or allergies.
Special Benefit Of Eating More Peanuts?
1. Peanuts Are a Healthy Food
Peanuts are one of the healthiest foods around. They’re high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats like monounsaturated fats. Peanuts also have a lot of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. They contain antioxidants that may help prevent cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Peanut butter is particularly rich in healthy unsaturated fats that can help lower cholesterol levels.
2. Peanuts Promote Heart Health
Peanuts are high in monounsaturated fats which can be helpful for lowering bad cholesterol levels like LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). Monounsaturated fatty acids also have anti-inflammatory properties that may help prevent heart disease or improve the ability of your blood to perform its normal functions. In fact, eating peanuts may improve your overall cardiovascular health and reduce your risk of developing heart disease or strokes.
3. Peanuts Can Lower Cholesterol Levels
Monounsaturated fatty acids in peanuts can lower “bad” cholesterol levels like LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and raise “good” cholesterol levels like HDL (the “good” cholesterol). Eating peanuts may also lower triglyceride levels which is another type of fat linked to cardiovascular disease risk factors including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, elevated blood lipids (fats) in the blood, and coronary heart disease risk factors such as inflammation or atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Eating peanuts could be beneficial for those who are at risk for heart disease.
4. Peanuts May Lower the Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin and cells don’t respond to it properly. This results in too much sugar circulating in the blood and tissues of the body, which may lead to serious health problems such as blindness, kidney failure, and amputation. The good news is that eating peanuts can help lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by improving your insulin sensitivity. Eating peanuts may help you achieve better blood sugar control and lower your risk of developing diabetes or its complications.
5. Peanuts Can Prevent Cancer
Peanuts contain a lot of nutrients that have been shown to be protective against cancer. Peanuts also contain a group of compounds known as flavonoids which are potent antioxidant compounds helping prevent cell damage from free radicals which are linked to cancer development in humans and animals. Eating peanuts has been associated with decreases in inflammation markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) which can reduce the risk of certain types of cancers including breast cancer and colorectal cancer because inflammation plays a role in the development of cancer.
6. Peanuts Are Good For Your Heart
Eating peanuts is good for the heart because they contain high levels of unsaturated fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) The unsaturated fats are known to reduce cholesterol levels and lower the risk for heart disease. Eating peanuts has also been associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease since it can help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which are both conditions that may increase your risk of heart disease. Eating peanuts may help protect against the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Peanuts?
1. Peanuts Can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Eating peanuts can help prevent type 2 diabetes because it can improve insulin sensitivity which is a condition that makes it harder for your body to absorb the sugar from carbohydrates (sugar from foods) in your diet. Improving insulin sensitivity is known to decrease your risk for type 2 diabetes, which is why many people who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes eat peanuts as a preventative measure. Eating peanuts has also been associated with improved blood sugar control and decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as its complications like kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, and heart disease.
2. Peanuts Can Lower Your Risk of Cancer
Eating peanuts can help lower your risk of cancer due to the fact that they have been found to have anti-cancer properties. Specifically, eating peanuts has been associated with significant reductions in oxidative stress markers like malondialdehyde (a marker closely associated with oxidative stress), total antioxidant capacity, and an increase in antioxidants like beta-carotene (a powerful antioxidant). Another way that eating peanuts may protect against cancer is due to the fact that they contain flavonoids which are potent antioxidant compounds helping prevent cell damage from free radicals which are linked to cancer development in humans and animals. Lastly, eating peanuts has been shown to protect DNA from damage caused by free radicals which may help prevent cancer from developing or growing worse if already present (i.e., “preventing” cancer).
3. Peanuts Can Help Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease
Eating peanuts can help reduce your risk of heart disease because they contain significant amounts of monounsaturated fat, which is known to help prevent heart disease and is thought to lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Additionally, the fiber found in peanuts can help lower your blood cholesterol and triglycerides which are risk factors for heart disease. Lastly, eating peanuts can help lower your blood pressure which is associated with a decreased risk for stroke.
4. Peanuts Can Help You Lose Weight
Eating peanuts may improve weight loss because they contain significant amounts of fiber, protein, and healthy fats like monounsaturated fat (which helps keep you feeling full) which all help keep you feeling fuller longer so you don’t eat as much during the day and therefore eat less overall. Eating peanuts also contain healthy amounts of vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, and iron which are important for maintaining good health and helping you feel full while consuming fewer calories.
5. Peanuts Can Help Prevent Cancer
Eating peanuts has been shown to have anticancer properties including being able to protect against cancer cells from developing or growing worse if already present (i.e., “preventing” cancer). Specifically, eating a diet high in peanuts has been shown to increase DNA repair capacity in both mice and humans which helps prevent cancer from developing or getting worse if already present (i.e., “preventing” cancer). Additionally, consuming peanuts has been shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer in both humans and animals. Lastly, eating peanuts has been shown to lower the risk for colon cancer in both mice and humans.
6. Peanuts Can Help Lower Your Blood Pressure
Eating peanuts can help lower your blood pressure because they contain significant amounts of fiber which helps keep your digestive tract working normally, thereby helping keep your blood pressure at healthy levels. Also, the high fiber content found in peanuts helps prevent constipation which is associated with a decreased risk for heart disease and stroke. Lastly, consuming peanuts has been shown to lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides which are risk factors for heart disease and stroke so eating them may help protect you against these diseases.
Are There Health Issues Associated With Peanut Allergy?
1. Peanut Allergy Symptoms
The most common symptom of a peanut allergy is an immediate, life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to peanuts and peanut products. The symptoms of anaphylaxis can include trouble breathing, wheezing, hives, swelling of the throat, difficulty swallowing, and/or nausea. If you have any symptoms suggestive of anaphylaxis after eating peanuts you should seek immediate medical attention by calling 911 or your local emergency number.
2. Peanut Allergy Treatment
There are currently no medications approved by the FDA for treating peanut allergy although some medications like antihistamines may help relieve some allergic symptoms like itching and congestion associated with an allergic reaction. There are also several prescription medications that may be used in combination with other treatments such as epinephrine (EpiPen) auto-injectors or oral antihistamines like diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Benadryl). If you have been diagnosed with peanut allergy then it is recommended that you avoid consuming peanuts which will reduce your risk of developing allergic reactions to peanuts in the future.
3. Peanut Allergy Prevention
The only way to prevent a peanut allergy is to avoid exposure to peanuts. You can do this by never eating peanuts or by always carrying an epinephrine auto-injector in case of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after eating peanuts. Additionally, if you have a peanut allergy it is recommended that you carry an alternative medication with you in the event of an allergic reaction (such as an EpiPen).
4. Peanut Allergy Statistics
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), there are approximately 4 million people in the United States that have peanut allergies. Of these 4 million people, approximately 90% of them are children and teens under the age of 18 years old. The remaining 10% are adults over the age of 18 years old. Additionally, approximately 1% of children have peanut allergies while only 0.6% of adults have peanut allergies.
Conclusion
Eating more peanuts may provide a nutritional benefit to some people with a peanut allergy. However, it’s important to remember that there are potential risks associated with eating peanuts and it’s important to avoid them if you are allergic to them.
