All about peanut butter

The peanut is also called groundnut, groundnut, oil nut and monkey nut. Contrary to what the name suggests, the peanut is actually not a nut but a legume. The pod is the elongated shell that surrounds the peanut. Because the peanut resembles nuts in terms of properties and composition, the peanut is still counted among the nuts in the health guidelines.

peanut plant

The annual peanut plant grows best under the influence of (sub)tropical conditions. Furthermore, the peanut plant also does well in a pot on the windowsill. The peanut is originally from Peru. Countries where peanuts are grown are: South Africa, North America, Argentina, Brazil, Israel, Egypt, India, Indonesia and China. In addition to France, England and Germany, the Netherlands is one of the major users of peanut butter.

Under the influence of water, light, heat and food, a peanut plant (Arachis hypogaea) grows from the peanut (germ). In Greek, Arachis means “weed” and hypogaea “underground chamber”. The peanut plant can reach a height of about thirty centimeters. After a few months, yellow flowers appear in the plant, which must be fertilized within twelve hours. After fertilization, stems (of about sixteen centimeters) grow downwards. The tips of these stems bore themselves (four to seven centimeters) into the ground. Within one month, two or three new peanuts will grow here. If the plant dies above ground, this is the sign that the peanuts are ripe underground. After the harvest, the peanuts are dried.

Piece of history

The first real peanut butter was made in Midwestern America (the United States) around 1890. However, well before that, peanut products were already being made that looked a lot like peanut butter. Nearly 3,000 years ago, South American Indians ground peanuts into a sticky paste. It wasn’t quite as spreadable as the peanut butter we know. In addition, this paste was mixed with cocoa. West Africans have also been using peanuts for 500 years. From later times, around 1960, they are known to grind roasted peanuts and then mix them with honey and red pepper. In South America, around 1865, peanuts were chopped or ground and then eaten with salt. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the soldiers dined on peanut butter. In the early sixteenth century, the Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought the peanut to Europe. In 1948 peanut butter came on the market in the Netherlands. This was very welcome after the Second World War.

Manufacturing process

The Netherlands mainly obtains its peanut butter peanuts from Argentina. In the factory, the machines first remove the skins from the peanuts. The peanuts are then roasted at sixty-five degrees Celsius. About eighty to eighty-five percent of the end product (peanut butter) consists of peanuts. There are about 585 peanuts in one peanut butter jar. The rest consists of additives: oil (including palm oil), salt and sugar. Under the influence of these additions, and cooling, a firm spreadable peanut butter is created.

The name peanut butter

In America and England, the term used for peanut spread is ‘peanut butter’. However, when peanut spread came on the market in the Netherlands, the word ‘butter’ was not allowed to be used. Butter was a protected claim. Only butter was allowed to say ‘butter’, so that there would be no confusion with margarine. As an alternative, ‘cheese’ was chosen (just like liver cheese, which also contains no cheese).

Nutritional value

Peanuts are half fat. One tablespoon of peanuts provides 126 calories. Peanut butter contains slightly more fat (about sixty percent). Peanut butter for one slice of bread provides 135 kilocalories. Most of this fat is healthy monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid). A smaller portion consists of healthy polyunsaturated fat (mainly linoleic acid; linoleic acid). About fifteen percent is the unhealthier saturated fat. Furthermore, peanuts do not contain trans fat and cholesterol. A quarter of peanuts consists of protein. This makes peanuts interesting for athletes and vegetarians. Peanuts are full-fledged meat substitutes, because they contain sufficient protein, iron and vitamin B1. The rest of the peanut is made up of carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Furthermore, peanuts provide important vitamins, such as: vitamin B1, vitamin B3, folic acid (folate; vitamin B9) and vitamin E.

Health effects

Especially the unsaturated fatty acids in peanuts and peanut butter are healthy. Scientific research shows that replacing saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids lowers bad LDL cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some scientific studies show that the consumption of nuts and peanuts also reduces the risk of diabetes. However, not all studies have been able to demonstrate this. More research is needed in this area.

In addition to peanuts, most types of peanut butter also contain additives (see “The peanut butter production process”). These additives are not healthy. That is why only peanut butter that consists of one hundred percent peanuts is included in the guidelines of the Wheel of Five. The advice is to eat fifteen to twenty-five grams of unsalted nuts (such as peanuts) or nut paste/peanut butter daily (depending on gender and age). Nowadays, one hundred percent peanut butter is for sale in all major supermarkets. Moreover, one hundred percent peanut butter is also easy to make yourself.

Whether fat is saturated or unsaturated: it provides more calories than proteins and carbohydrates. You need healthy fats every day. But beware: if you consume more calories than you need per day by eating peanuts, your body weight will increase.

Conclusion

Peanuts grow in (sub)tropical areas. In the sixteenth century the peanut came to Europe and from 1948 peanut butter was produced in the Netherlands. About half of peanut butter consists of unsaturated fats, which reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Many types of peanut butter have added salt, sugar and palm fat. That is why only the one hundred percent peanut butter (without additives) fits into a healthy diet.

Sources:

• NTR: School TV. peanut plant
• Nutrition center. Is peanut butter healthy?
• Nutrition center. meat substitutes.
• Nutrition center. Eating table 2016.
• Nutrition center. Guidelines Disc of Five.
• NPO: The Klokhuis. Peanut butter.
• Us Seeds. Arachis hypogaea.
• Jon Krampner (2014). Creamy and Crunchy: An Informal History of Peanut Butter, the All-American Food. Columbia University Press.
• RIVM: Nevo online.
• Health Council. Dietary standards: energy, proteins, fats and digestible carbohydrates. The Hague: Health Council, 2001; publication no. 2001/19R (corrected edition: June 2002).
• afshin A., Micha R., et al. (2014). Consumption of nuts and legumes and risk of incident ischemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Society for Nutrition.
• Luo C., Zhang Y., et al. (2014). Nut consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Society for Nutrition.