Lamens Health

Monday, April 13, 2009

WHAT IS PEANUT BUTTER

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Is Peanut Butter good for Health?
This is healthier and tastier alternative to butter, margarine and jams. It is a natural brand extension of cholesterol-free bread spread. But some reports say, it may NOT be good...
What is Peanut Butter

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Health Concerns......

Health concerns
For people with a peanut allergy, peanut butter can cause reactions including anaphylactic shock which has led to its banning in some schools.

The peanut plant is susceptible to the mold Aspergillus flavus which produces a carcinogenic substance called aflatoxin. Average American peanut butter contains about 13 parts per billion of aflatoxins, a thousand times below the maximum recommended safe level.

Some brands of peanut butter may contain a small amount of added partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are high in trans fatty acids, thought to be a cause of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke; these oils are added to make the butter easier to spread. Natural peanut butter, and peanuts, do not contain partially hydrogenated oils.

Also, at least one study has found that peanut oil caused relatively heavy clogging of arteries. It is reported that diets high in peanut oil, when combined with cholesterol intake, clogged the arteries of Rhesus monkeys more than did butterfat. More details at the bottom please..

Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground roasted peanuts, with or without added oil. It is popular throughout the world and is also manufactured in some emerging markets. Its primary use is as a sandwich spread.

In some types of gourmet peanut butter, chocolate or other ingredients may be added. Various nut butters are also made from other nuts.

History
Evidence of modern peanut butter comes from US patent #306727 issued to Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec, in 1884, for a process of milling roasted peanuts between heated surfaces until the peanuts reached "a fluid or semi-fluid state." As the product cooled, it set into what Edson described as "a consistency like that of butter, lard, or ointment."

Health benefits
Peanut butter may protect against a high risk of cardiovascular disease due to high levels of monounsaturated fats and resveratrol; butter prepared with the skin of the peanuts has a greater level of resveratrol and other health-aiding agents. Peanut butter (and peanuts) provide protein, vitamins B3 and E, magnesium, folate, dietary fiber, arginine, and high levels of the antioxidant p-coumaric acid.

Plumpy'nut is a peanut butter based food used to fight malnutrition in famine stricken countries. A single pack contains 500 calories, can be stored unrefrigerated for 2 years, and requires no cooking or preparation.

In the novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison, and the film Soylent Green, based on the novel, an impoverished and malnourished world is portrayed; the government supplies a peanut butter ration to prevent "the kwash" (kwashiorkor, associated with protein deficiency) in children.

Health concerns
For people with a peanut allergy, peanut butter can cause reactions including anaphylactic shock which has led to its banning in some schools.

The peanut plant is susceptible to the mold Aspergillus flavus which produces a carcinogenic substance called aflatoxin. Since it is impossible to completely remove every instance of aflatoxins, contamination of peanuts and peanut butter is monitored in many countries to ensure safe levels of this carcinogen. Average American peanut butter contains about 13 parts per billion of aflatoxins, a thousand times below the maximum recommended safe level.[citation needed]

Some brands of peanut butter may contain a small amount of added partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are high in trans fatty acids, thought to be a cause of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke; these oils are added to make the butter easier to spread. Natural peanut butter, and peanuts, do not contain partially hydrogenated oils. A USDA survey of commercial peanut butters in the US did not show the presence of trans fat.

Also, at least one study has found that peanut oil caused relatively heavy clogging of arteries. Robert Wissler, of the University of Chicago, reported that diets high in peanut oil, when combined with cholesterol intake, clogged the arteries of Rhesus monkeys more than did butterfat. [Atherosclerosis 20: 303, 1974]

Peanut butter can possibly harbor salmonella, causing salmonellosis; for example, in a 2007 outbreak.[7] In 2009, due to mishandling and apparent criminal negligence at a single Peanut Corporation of America factory in Blakely, Georgia, salmonella was found in 46 states in peanut-butter-based products such as crackers, peanut-butter cookies, and dog treats. It has claimed at least nine human lives as of 17 March 2009 (2009 -03-17)[update], and made at least 691 people sick in the United States. Peanut butter does not otherwise carry a risk of salmonella.

References

^ wikipedia
^ Sci Tech The Hindu, December 14, 2006
^ WH Foods
^ Michael Wines (2005-08-08). "Hope for Hungry Children, Arriving in a Foil Packet". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/08/international/africa/08niger.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1123560000&en=a110a1fd93832714&ei=5094&partner=homepage&oref=slogin.
^ James Barron (September 27, 1998). "Dear Mr. Carver. This Is a Cease and Desist Order.". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9D0CEEDB1539F934A1575AC0A96E958260.
^ "Aflatoxins in Your Food - and their Effect on Your Health". Environment, Health and Safety Online. http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/aflatoxin.php.
^ Peanut butter is trans fat free.
^ Dennis G. Maki, M.D. (2009-02-11). Coming to Grips with Foodborne Infection — Peanut Butter, Peppers, and Nationwide Salmonella Outbreaks. New England Journal of Medicine. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMp0806575. Retrieved on 2009-02-12.
^ RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR (2009-01-17). "People urged to avoid peanut butter products". AP via Yahoo News. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jeLgwCG-FEEYH8KZ7Tt45zOdSIKgD95P6TRO3. Retrieved on 2009-02-12.
^ Investigation Update: Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium Infections, 2008–2009, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
^ "US peanut boss refuses testimony". BBC News. 2009-02-11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7884807.stm. Retrieved on 2009-02-12.
^ "Pine Cone Bird Feeder". Wisconsin State Environmental Education for Kids!. http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/cool/birdfeed.htm.
^ "Victor brand rodent control solutions web site". http://www.victorpest.com/advice/rodents-101/myths.

 

By : Preeti Chennai
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