Cravings! Everyone has them, and some more so than others.
There are two types of food cravings, selective and non-selective.
Both are very common and occur in more than 90% of people.
Non-selective food cravings are strong desires to eat anything without a preference for specific foods.
It can, however, be a sign of thirst or hunger.
Peanut butter is a food that is rich in nutrients.
When you crave peanut butter, it could be a sign that there is a certain nutritional deficiency contained in peanut butter that you need to fulfill.
For instance, if you are on a low-fat diet and crave peanut butter, you might not be getting enough healthy fats in your diet.
Cravings for certain foods such as chocolate, sweets, or peanut butter, are referred to as selective food cravings.
Generally, strict diets are linked to increased cravings.
The development of food cravings is the body’s way of signaling a deficiency in particular nutrients.
A low-fat diet can affect your overall body fat percentage.
Although a low-fat diet is beneficial for health, a diet that is too low in fat and does not meet the requirements for the amount of fat in the body will cause you to crave foods rich in fat.
Another type of diet that can cause peanut butter cravings is a low-carb diet. In the low-carb eating plans, low-sugar peanut butter is one of the foods that are approved as a substitute for carbohydrates.
In addition to its sweet taste and filling texture, it can also be a good nutritional complement to the diet.
Furthermore, our bodies have daily protein requirements to build and maintain body muscles.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
But depending on your daily activity and gender, you may need more than that amount.
If these basic needs are not met, you can start to crave peanut butter.
If you are on a weight-loss diet, you might also crave peanut butter to supplement the low-calorie intake.
Low-calorie diets limit your intake to about 800 to 1000 a day, while the usual intake is 2,500 for men and 2,000 for women.
Craving is natural because peanut butter is rich in carbohydrates and an important energy source.
Why Do I Have Peanut Cravings?
Why are peanuts so crave-worthy?
Part of the answer may lie in their unique flavor profile.
Peanuts are roasted, which brings out their natural sweetness and a slight bitterness from the skins.
This perfect balance of sweet and savory is one of the things that makes peanuts so addictive.
But there’s more to it than just taste.
Peanuts are also packed with nutrients like protein and fiber, which help to keep us feeling full and satisfied.
And because they’re so easy to eat on the go, peanuts make the perfect snack when we’re feeling hungry between meals.
In addition, a craving may also signal a nutrient deficiency.
For example, when your body needs magnesium, your brain will give a signal in the form of an urge to eat chocolate.
Peanuts are cooked and processed in different ways.
Depending on the type of nuts you crave, for example, if you crave salted peanuts, you may require more sodium.
Craving peanuts can also mean you need some intake of zinc, iron, or magnesium.
If you continue to crave peanuts every day, it could signal a different potential nutritional deficiency.
Consume peanuts in moderation to meet these deficiencies, or pay attention to your overall daily diet to ensure daily nutritional needs are met.
What Do You Need If You Crave Peanut Butter?
If you crave peanut butter, there’s only one thing you need: a spoon.
Just joking! You might need healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein.
Peanuts are an excellent source of all three, and a nutrient deficiency in any or all of them could trigger a peanut butter craving.
In addition, craving peanut butter can also mean you are experiencing stress or anxiety.
The content of phytonutrients in peanut butter can reduce anxiety and stress by stabilizing the stress hormone called cortisol.
When you are stressed, your body will stimulate the hormone cortisol.
As a result, blood sugar levels will increase, and cells will work twice as hard as usual.
Because the body’s cells need glucose and energy to function, it sends a message to the brain that the body needs to eat.
So what comes to mind is the desire to eat peanuts or peanut butter.
These phytonutrients, such as beta-sitosterol, have antidepressant properties.
Craving peanut butter can also signal a deficiency in certain nutrients.
Two tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains the following:
- 207 calories
- 9 grams of protein
- 18 grams fat
- g of carbohydrates
- 3 grams of fiber
- 1 gram of sugar
- It is also a good resource for:
- Antioxidants
- Amino acids
- Calcium
- Copper
- Folate
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Niacin (B3)
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin E
What Happens If I Eat Too Much Peanut Butter?
One study showed that eating peanuts daily can reduce the risk of heart disease by 38% and reduce the risk of death by 21%.
However, it is different from peanut butter on the market, which can contain trans fat, sugar, and vegetable oils.
Consuming it in large quantities can be bad for health, one of which is heart disease.
In addition, eating too many peanuts over a long period can lead to an intolerance to peanuts and other nut-processed foods such as peanut butter.
Symptoms include nausea, acne, fatigue, and rashes.
Consuming peanut butter should be in moderation, just like any other food.
Overconsumption of any food can lead to gastrointestinal distress like gas, bloat, cramps, and diarrhea.
The nature of peanuts also makes them easy to develop mold.
Peanuts are grown and grown in the soil, so they have a high level of moisture.
Many of them contain mycotoxins which are different types of fungi.
And most peanuts, from how they are grown to store, make them susceptible to mold and to go rancid.
It is one of the most common causes of peanut allergies or inflammatory immune reactions after eating peanuts.
Research shows that unprocessed peanut butter can contain aflatoxins.
Because peanuts grow underground and are susceptible to being overgrown by a fungus called Aspergillus, it is a source of aflatoxins that are harmful to health.
Several studies in developing countries have shown an association between aflatoxin exposure and slowed mental development, stunted growth, and liver cancer that occurs in developing countries.
Peanut butter processing can significantly reduce the content of aflatoxins in the final product.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitors aflatoxin levels in food.
Another way to minimize exposure to aflatoxins in peanut butter is to stick to peanut butter under supervised and approved commercial brands and immediately discard any peanuts or peanut butter that has discolored, wrinkled or started to develop mold.
Furthermore, Omega-6 and Omega-3 are important antioxidants that we need.
The deficiency of this content can have a bad health impact.
On the other hand, consuming too much also has a detrimental result.
Consuming high amounts of omega 6 instead of omega 3 can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and blocked arteries.
Chia seeds, which are high in Omega 3, can be added to peanut butter to balance out the higher Omega 6 content of peanuts.
I’m Chris Watson & the Founder of EatForLonger.com. I’m a food and wellbeing enthusiast researching and sharing foodstuffs and simple food-based concepts, such as fasting and clean eating.
I hope it inspires you to make tiny changes to what you eat and when you eat while optimizing your healthspan and all-around well-being.
Read more About Me here.