Peanut Butter and Healthy Fats
Peanut butter is a wonderful source of healthy fats. Just one serving contains 8g of monounsaturated fat and 4.4g of polyunsaturated fat. Both of these fats act in similar manners the biggest difference is that polyunsaturated fat also contains omega-3 and 6 which the body needs for brain function and cell growth. They both reduce bad cholesterol, provide energy to the body and help absorb vitamins. That’s why it’s best to get both mono and polyunsaturated fats on a regular basis.
So maybe you have some kind of hangup when it comes to the word fat. It’s bad or frightening. It gets confusing out here in the world of information and everywhere you turn it seems like you are being told the opposite of what was said yesterday. When it comes to fat, your body actually needs it. You need it for energy, to absorb certain vitamins, to build strong cell membranes, for blood clotting, and for healthy skin and nails. As with much everything else in life, it’s all about the type of fat, how much you are consuming, and how active your lifestyle is.
Fat Produces Energy
Fats play a huge role in energy especially if you exercise. During the first 20 minutes of exercise, the body uses energy from carbohydrates and sugar. After that 20 minute mark, those sources are usually depleted and the body gets its energy from stored fat. Sorry but you aren’t chipping away at those fat storages until after 20 minutes. Fat is actually the densest source of energy in the body with carbohydrates and protein lagging behind. It supplies nearly half of all the energy needed by the body.
Fat Helps Vitamins
Fat also plays a part in vitamin absorption. You might have heard of fat-soluble vitamins. This means that these particular vitamins need fat to be absorbed. Some of those vitamins include A, D, E, and K. If you take any of these as supplements it’s a good idea to have a little fat along with them, like a teaspoon of peanut butter or half an avocado. Otherwise, your body might not be processing the full amounts of these vitamins. Each of these vitamins is needed for various components of a healthy body.
–Vitamin A helps sustain good eye health and vision.
–Vitamin D keeps bones dense and healthy and also keeps the immune system strong.
–Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cells from free radical damage which can cause cancer.
–Vitamin K ensures that blood clots properly when the body is cut and also regulates calcium in bones.
Fat Reduces Heart Disease Risk
Healthy fats such as mono and polyunsaturated fats help to reduce the risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure. This is because these healthy fats reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They lower the bad LDL levels and increase the good HDL levels. Anyone who is at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease can regulate this by reducing bad fats like trans and increase good fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
Types Of Fat
There are four main types of fats. Each type plays a different role in the body and not all fats are good for your health.
Monounsaturated – Good fat
Found in olive and sesame seed oil, avocado, nuts, peanut butter, eggs, red meat.
Polyunsaturated – Good Fat
Found in fish, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax, peanuts, soybean and corn oil.
Saturated – Moderate Fat
Found in fatty cuts of meat, dark chicken meat,coconut oil, palm oil, full-fat dairy including butter, milk and cream.
Trans – Bad fat
Found in vegetable shortening, fried foods, some margarine and vegetable oils, some coffee creamers, bakery goods made with shortening.
Healthy Fats
Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats are healthy and come from sources such as nuts, seeds, fish, olive oil, and peanut butter. These are the fats that help increase good cholesterol (HDL) levels and help prevent heart disease. These are the types of fat that you want to be sure to include in your regular diet. Generally, most people want to keep these levels between 40-75g a day which depends on your current body fat percentage, weight loss goals, how active your lifestyle is, and your overall health.
Did you know that the brain is 60% fat
Saturated Fat – The Moderate Fat
Between good and bad we have saturated fats. These are commonly found in beef, pork, lamb, dark chicken meat, dairy, lard, coconut, and cocoa butter. There is a lot of debate about this kind of fat and you’ve probably heard both good and bad things about it. If eaten in excess, saturated fat can raise bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. Anyone who is at risk for high cholesterol or heart disease should be aware of their intake and regulate it. Generally speaking though, saturated fats should be kept to about 6% of your total daily calorie intake. Generally speaking, one serving of peanut butter (2 tablespoons) makes up 18% of the recommended daily saturated fat intake.
Bad Fats
It’s best to stay away from trans fat as much as possible and limit yourself to 5g per day. Luckily, there is no trans fat in peanut butter. This type of fat actually raises bad cholesterol levels and causes blockages in arteries which increases the risk of heart disease. Out of all four types of fats trans fat is the worst one for your health. It actually has no benefit for the body at all. Trans fat is a byproduct of turning oils into solids through hydrogenation. You will mainly see it in margarine and vegetable shortening.
Peanut Butter Power Play
Knowing where bad fats come from is important. It’s also good to exchange those bad fats with healthy ones. Instead of filling up on fried foods try incorporating more avocados, peanut butter, and fish. Since peanut butter does contain saturated fats it’s best not to overindulge as much as possible. Sorry to end this with bad news but enjoy peanut butter responsibly.
