Heart disease, cancer and respiratory disease are major killers of men and women. A healthy lifestyle and good nutrition are primary manners in which you can protect yourself from these diseases. Oxford University Press reported, eating nuts and peanuts, but not peanut butter, may help to protect you against death from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, and other major causes of death.
Researchers have confirmed there is a link between peanut and nut consumption and decreased mortality rates. Men and women who consume at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts daily have a decreased risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who don’t eat any nuts or peanuts. However, there has not been any protective effect found from eating peanut butter.
The decrease in mortality has been found to be strongest for respiratory disease, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes. This has been followed by cancer and cardiovascular diseases. These effects have been observed to be equal in men and women. Peanuts have been found to have at
least as strong decreases in mortality as tree nuts. However, researchers from Maastricht University found that peanut butter is not associated with mortality. This study was done in the Netherlands.
Many compounds such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, many vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds are found in peanuts and tree nuts which possibly contribute to the decrease in death rates. There was no association discovered between peanut butter consumption and mortality risk. However, aside from peanuts, peanut butter also contains added components such as salt and vegetable oils. Furthermore, peanut butter has trans fatty acids. It appears the negative health effects of salt and trans fatty acids may undermine the protective effects of peanuts.
This study has been published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers have observed nut consumption is associated with lower mortality. Peanut butter consistently has not been found to be related to mortality. It seems like a good idea to enjoy nuts and peanuts but skip the peanut butter in the best interest of your overall health.
