How Does Peanut Butter Affect Our Appetite and Blood Sugar?

Almost everyone loves peanut butter. But, when it comes to diabetes, should people affected by this chronic illness consume it? How does it affect their blood glucose levels? Good news - peanut butter is actually beneficial for them. Peanut butter is rich in protein and unsaturated fat, and it can make an excellent nutritious addition to snacks and meals for people with diabetes. Great news, right? Read on, to find out more.

Study on This Topic

The researchers at the Federal University and Purdue University researched the effects of peanuts regarding appetite and glycemic response in obese women with a risk of type 2 diabetes. According to this research, consuming peanut butter or peanuts as the first meal of the day might help keep stable blood glucose during the day.

More About the Study

In addition, it was found that the peanut might help reduce appetite, even after a high-carb lunch. The researchers came to the discovery that peanuts and peanut butter boost the secretion of the hormone PYY, i.e., peptide YY which is an appetite-suppressing hormone. The women who had peanuts and peanut butter had lower blood glucose after lunch and reported feeling fuller for a more extended period of time. According to this study, peanut butter had a more beneficial effect regarding the glycemic response. This is in comparison to the peanuts. What makes peanut butter suitable for the control of appetite and blood glucose is the combination of healthy oils, high protein, and fiber.

Natural Peanut Butter Is the Best Option

The research above mentioned was done on natural peanut butter. The natural peanut butter has only nutrients that come from the peanuts. This is in comparison to the commercial peanut butter. The commercial peanut butter has hydrogenated oil, added sugar, and salt. The natural peanut butter - in 2 tbsps. of serving contains 13 g of healthy unsaturated fats, 3 g of natural sugar, 2 g of fiber, and 7 g of protein. The nutrients found in the peanut butter are what help stabilize the blood glucose and prevents blood glucose spikes by lowering and slowing down the overall blood glucose levels.

Ideas to Include Peanut Butter in Our Diet

We can have a sandwich with whole-wheat bread and peanut butter. Or instead of eating pretzels and crackers for a snack, we can have 1 or 2 tbsps. of peanut butter. Also, we can add peanut butter to our oatmeal. Still, we need to consult our doctor before making any changes in our usual diet, especially if we have poor blood sugar control.