Most of us love peanut butter. There are so many different ways to eat it – peanut butter sandwiches, satay sauces, peanut butter sweets, or peanut butter ice cream. The question is how good is it for you? Can peanut butter help you lose weight?
Peanut Butter sales in the UK have increased by over 13.3% over the past year. This is mainly due to re-branding the product as a health food. With people considering peanut butter while trying to lose weight, does it really work?
Surprisingly recent studies in the US have shown that a diet that included peanut butter helps people lose weight just as much as a low-fat diet.
An Analysis of the Peanut Butter Diet
What you eat is very important when you are trying to lose weight. In a study, conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the groups were placed on a diet where 20% of their calories were derived from fat, while the other group was on a diet where fat supplied 35% of the calories. The weight loss observed in both the groups was almost the same over a period of 6 weeks.
In the group whose fat intake was 35%, the men were allowed 2,200 calories a day which included 3 servings of peanut butter. Women were allowed 1,500 calories with 2 servings of peanut butter. Peanut butter was served as an accompaniment to snacks, muffins, celery sticks etc.
When following up the research, it was found that the 2nd group was able to follow through with their diet plan for a period of 18 months and maintain their weight loss plan. On the other hand, the diet group that were placed on a 20% fat intake, were not so successful in sticking to the diet plan.
Inferences from the Study
Researchers found out that the 2nd group were able to stick to the plan, due to the fact that they were getting food that tasted good. Moreover, peanut butter gives you a feeling of satiety and prevents frequent snacking.
On the other hand, the participants in the 20% fat intake group, had feelings of frustration over being deprived of their regular food options, and tended to deviate from the plan.
Peanut butter in itself doesn’t contribute to any kind of weight loss. The diet plan also excluded other saturated fat sources like cheese, butter or red meats. Their diet included healthy unsaturated fat sources like peanut butter, avocados, nuts, olive oil etc. Moreover peanut butter helped reduced the triglyceride content of the body and promoted health.
Health Benefits of Peanut Butter
Being a source of mono-saturated fat, peanut butter is a healthy option for preventing heart conditions and diabetes. Since, it lowers triglycerides; it helps in preventing metabolic syndrome. It lowers the cholesterol in the body. It keeps you fuller for longer so that you don’t fall into bad habits and start snacking unnecessarily.
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