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Pros and Cons of Peanut Butter

The famous cereal maker Dr. John Kellogg and his brother Will Keith Kellogg patented the peanut butter process. Peanut butter is a common staple in many American homes. According to the National Peanut Board, the average American eats about 3 lbs. of peanut butter per year. U.S. consumers purchase approximately 700 million pounds of peanut butter annually.

  1. Good Nutrition

    • The standard serving for peanut butter is 2 tbsp., according to the Peter Pan peanut butter label information. The Nutrition Data website states that a standard serving of smooth-style peanut butter, with no added salt and less than 2 percent of molasses or added oils, contains 7 g of protein, 3 g of sugar, 16 total g of fat and 2 g of fiber. By comparison, the same size serving of plain almond butter, with no added salt, contains 6 g of protein, 3 g of sugar, 16 total g of fat and 3 g of dietary fiber. Both peanut butter and almond butter contain 190 calories per serving. Nutritionists consider both nut butters to be good protein sources with low sugar content.

    Healthful Fats

    • The total fat content of one serving of peanut butter is 3 g of saturated fat, 4 g of polyunsaturated fat and 9 g of monounsaturated fat. By comparison, the same serving of almond butter contains 2 g of saturated fat, 4 g of polyunsaturated fat and 10 g of monounsaturated fat. This breakdown makes almond butter a more healthful option than peanut butter.

    Sodium Content

    • A standard serving of peanut butter contains 150 mg of sodium. The same size serving of almond butter contains only 60 mg.

    Inflammation Factor

    • The Inflammation Factor of peanut butter scores a 10 compared with 76 for almond butter. This means that almond butter has more anti-inflammatory effects than peanut butter. Milk, on the other hand scores a --77 for a typical 8 oz. glass of milk, making it a source of inflammation. If you are consuming foods such as milk that are inflammatory, almond butter is a better balancing food and has more than the recommended 50 target inflammation factor score.

    Allergy Factor

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, peanut allergy is common in children and is the most frequent cause of serious allergy reactions, including anaphylaxis. Most people must consume the peanuts or peanut butter to have a reaction, but some people react simply through skin contact or by eating foods that have been processed in a food plant that also processed peanuts or by breathing in peanut dust. Peanuts are the third most common food allergen, surpassed by milk and eggs. Tree nuts such as almonds, cashews, pecans and walnuts are slightly less likely to trigger an allergic reaction.

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