Why all the hate on peanut butter?

[drbro1228]

I've always been really confused when it comes to peanut butter. I understand that non-organic/natural pb often has bad hydrogenated oils in it, but people I know seem to freak out when I mention pb; like it's one of the unhealthiest foods ever created. What's everyones view on pb, and why do people have such a negative reaction to it?

[Kora]

I have never known anyone that was prejudice against peanut butter. Everyone loves peanut butter. What kind of peanut hating friends do you have?

[drbro1228]

I guess I'm hanging out with the wrong people then haha. But seriously, certain friends(especially ones who exercise) and family members have a very negative reaction to it. I ask them why, and the most common answers are: "it's all fat", or "it's so bad for you". Sometimes I get the feeling that people view almonds as the holy grail of nuts, and everything other kind of nut/legume is bad for you.

[Kora]

I guess I'm hanging out with the wrong people then haha. But seriously, certain friends(especially ones who exercise) and family members have a very negative reaction to it. I ask them why, and the most common answers are: "it's all fat", or "it's so bad for you". Sometimes I get the feeling that people view almonds as the holy grail of nuts, and everything other kind of nut/legume is bad for you.

 

LOL sometimes people latch on to one thing or another and deem it as bad for really no good reason. I don't think there is anything wrong with eating peanut butter. I get that reaction from people a lot when I mention juicing. LOL, tell them I ate a cup cake or oreos and no body cares, but tell them I used my fruits and veggies for breakfast today and suddenly the world is going to end over it.

[muchidna]

well, i personally have only been eating the 100% peanuts stuff, i don't see why it's bad for you, i'd imagine almond butter is probably better for you, but yeah, it contains fats, protein, good nutrients

but yeah, the only reason i can think for it to be "unhealthy" is, it's pretty dense in calories, which is only "unhealthy" if, idk, you're cutting or have diabetes or something like that

 

that, and the more sugar filled peanut butters, obviously have sugar and oils (palm) added, i'm not too critical of that either, i avoid them myself, but they still have some good aspects

 

anyway, first define "healthy" or "bad for you", i gurantee you cant, "it's all fat", so? fat isn't bad, too much fat might be "it's so bad for you", define bad for you.. bad for your figure? nonsense, anything in excess will do that, toxic for you? i doubt it

[Comingtocyberspace]

I think the concern may be peanuts have toxins called aflatoxins created from mold. They are worried about the effects on the liver

[Mini Forklift]

Okay, this is from a few years ago, but aflatoxins are still obviously a fairly major concern with peanuts today:

 

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/ComplianceManuals/CompliancePolicyGuidanceManual/ucm074598.htm

 

I tend to mainly pull info from the more reputable/science based sites (although there's plenty of info about peanuts and their relationship to candida, cancer, food allergies etc if you wanted to do some research into it). Mercola's info is pretty credible IMO ~ this is straight from their site:

 

Peanuts

 

Peanuts contain beneficial protein, but many people are allergic to them and find them hard to digest.

They also contain aflatoxin, a carcinogenic, which may explain why peanut farmers have been found

to have disproportionately high rates of cancer.

Peanuts are high in fungus and, often, pesticides.

They do not contain any omega-3, which can contribute to distorting your omega-6:omega-3 ratio.

The peanut is actually a legume, not a nut (which is why they are often roasted).

Peanuts contain about the same amount of protein as soy and are low in starchy carbohydrates.

 

Peanut Butter

 

When buying peanut butter, only buy organic varieties.

Non-organic peanut butters are high in pesticides and fungus and contain aflatoxin, a potent carcinogenic mold.

To increase the protein in peanut butter (peanuts have about the same amount of protein as soy), Brewer’s yeast can be mixed in. This is especially useful for vegetarians

 

Sourced from:

 

http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/foodalert.htm

[blabbate]

Aflatoxins used to be a real concern, but not so much anymore. As long as you're buying organic or major brand peanut butters, you should have nothing to worry about. The FDA is quite strict about this one, although they came to it late. Even back a few decades ago, you'd need to eat a ton of peanut butter to be at any risk. But then again, we're all talking about how delicious it is, so that's not far-fetched.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002429.htm

 

On another note, don't trust Mercola. He's a liar, a profit-monger, an anti-vaxxer, and a homeopath. He's been reprimanded by the FDA on three occasions for lying about his products.

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/02/01/joe-mercola-proof-positive-that-quackery/

http://www.quackwatch.com/11Ind/mercola.html

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola

http://www.skepdic.com/mercola.html

http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/11/01/joseph-mercola-misinformation-and-fear-mongering-about-vaccines/

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/08/03/15-years-of-promoting-quackery/

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/for-shame-dr-oz/

[Mini Forklift]

Mercola is a scam, really? Wow. I had no idea ~ I'll look into those links.

 

Thanks for the info and heads-up blabbate!

[drbro1228]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I believe organic peanut butter is good for you as long as you don't go crazy with it. Peanut butter, banana sandwiches appear have become a staple food of mine since I'm a broke college student.

[Fallen_Horse]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I believe organic peanut butter is good for you as long as you don't go crazy with it. Peanut butter, banana sandwiches appear have become a staple food of mine since I'm a broke college student.

 

If you stick with whole wheat bread and unsweetened PB, then that's a pretty healthy meal for a college student!

[EdensDemise]

i tried to quit all the nuts, peanuts, almonds and dried fruits from my current diet, i am trying to not use fat, because it all goes to my hips. but dried fruits in general are one of the most complete food in the world, they are tasty and healthy and easy to eat. i love them and that makes me cry. i would sleep in a bed of peanuts