Peanuts and Diabetics - Is It a Healthy Choice?

Peanut butter is an excellent source of vitamins, protein, and healthy fat. It is also the cheapest way to get power-packed protein. Recent studies have conclusive evidence to show that peanut is good for diabetes.

There were many questions and doubts related to the use of peanut butter and diabetes. 

Questions like- 

• is peanut butter good for diabetics? 
• What is the relation between peanuts and diabetes type 2? 
• Why is peanut butter good for diabetes? 
• Is peanut butter good to lower blood sugar levels?

This blog will deal with such questions in detail but first of all, let us understand what the relation between peanut butter and diabetes is.

Peanut Butter and Diabetes

Diabetes is a major health concern rising globally. Diabetes is often caused because of lifestyle problems and choices of food. Any food item which has a high glycemic index (GI) is bound to hike blood sugar levels in the body. 

When the presence of glucose in blood level gets affected in any way, it makes you a diabetic person. Peanut butter made from peanuts on the other hand is a highly nutritious food item with low GI. 

Many studies have suggested that having peanut butter in the morning lowers the insulin level in the blood all day. 

One of the most important reasons behind why is peanut butter good for diabetes is the significant presence of magnesium in it. 

• Magnesium is a highly effective mineral against blood sugar.

Having understood the relation between peanuts and diabetes, let us understand some key benefits of using peanuts in our daily meals.

Advantages of Peanut Butter in Diabetes

a) It helps you to control your blood insulin level.

b) Peanut butter contains magnesium which is an essential mineral to keep your blood sugar low.

c) Heart issues are frequently related to diabetes; peanut butter lowers high blood pressure and improves your heart’s health.

d) Peanut butter being low on GI controls blood glucose.

e) It is one of the most cost-friendly diets with equal nutritional values when compared to other food supplements like walnut.

f) Peanut butter is high on fiber and thus it makes you feel fuller for long hours. Feeling full for long hours makes you eat less and thus you lose weight.

After knowing the huge benefits of peanut butter you must be craving a scoop of it with your breakfast. Since peanut butter contains fats that are rich in calories one needs to mix it with low carb diets to avoid excess intake.

Some of the ways through which one can enjoy good snacks for diabetes is as follows:

1) Mix it with oats.

2) Mix it with smoothies

3) Change your regular butter with peanut butter as it is a healthier option.

4) Use it as lunch, let‘s spread it on our sandwiches.

5) Munch it with your crackers as a snack at night.

It is needless yet necessary to let you know that you should choose sugar-free peanut butter for your snacks if you are a diabetic.

Let us now analyze some scientific researches through which they answered why is peanut butter good for diabetics?

What does the research say?

The American Diabetic Association recommended 25 grams of peanut for females and 38 grams of peanut for males to live a healthy lifestyle. ADA also conducted a survey to conclude that including a high fiber nutrient in your food can reduce the 25-30% risk of being prone to type 2 diabetes.

It showed that those participants who ate peanuts in their breakfast have noticed a significant reduction of blood glucose levels, have not experienced hunger all day, and as a result consumed fewer calories.

It has been found that having peanut butter in breakfast induces GLP1 hormone levels. These hormones are responsible for the rise in insulin levels, a decrease in appetite, and reduce insulin tolerance.

There are many advantages of having peanut butter as a breakfast for diabetic people. However, we must not ignore a few things if we are planning to use peanut butter as a diabetic. There can be serious health complications if the following consideration is not observed:

Considerations

i. Avoid peanut butter with sugar content: Many available peanut butter products present in the market contain extra sugar. Diabetics should look for all-natural peanut butter with the less fat present in it.

ii. Cut the Calories: Peanut butter is dangerously high on calories. One tablespoon of peanut butter can contain 188 calories. High-calorie intake can lead to obesity which can adversely affect your diabetic condition.

iii. Fatty Acids: Peanut butter is high in omega 6 fatty acids, Omega 6 is known for causing inflammation in the body. Diabetes too causes inflammation in the body. In order to balance the omega 6 impact on the body one must take omega 3 fatty acid-rich food as Omega3 reduces prevents your swelling up.

Final words/Conclusion:

So now when asked, is peanut butter ok for diabetics? We can comfortably and convincingly conclude that peanut butter is not only good for diabetic people but also peanut butter is healthy for diabetics.

However, you must not forget excess of everything is bad. Especially with peanut butter which tastes so delicious that you will have a hard time controlling the urge of frequently having it.

Peanut butter if taken in the right quantity can help you control your sugar all day long and can heal your heart.