We all know peanut butter is a great source of energy, easy to digest, rich in proteins and fiber, low in carbs, etc. We can buy in any supermarket at an accessible price. Accessible price because it is so easy to make with not many ingredients.
However why is this so different than the natural raw version? If you ever make homemade peanut butter, you will know what I’m talking about. Might be the food additives that add different flavor? Not really. Let’s find out…
Natural peanut butter tastes far better however it is not sweet. Also raw nut butter you’ll notice how different the consistency is. Anyway, kids usually can’t get used to. Let’s say processed kind has a better texture and taste.
But why?
Because the hydrogenated oils. They add those into different butters in order to bind the molecules together more efficiently, which gives the nut butters the much more solid and creamy texture. Not only that: oil is cheaper than peanuts however the industry refers to things like this as “value added”.
Ever notice it doesn’t separate? Whatever was liquid before is now a solid at room temperature, slightly worse for you, and much more shelf stable. I believe this is how margarine is made.
Why is “slightly worse for you”? Well, hydrogenation (partial) creates trans fats. While the ‘healthiness’ of consumption of trans fats as whole is still being studied (as trans fats occurs naturally in animal products), it is agreed upon by the FDA, WHO, and other regulatory bodies that artificially created trans fats are bad. So bad in fact, they’ve banned specific artificial trans fats outright in Ireland a few years ago.
Some theories state that clog your arteries slightly….and permanently, your body doesn’t know what to do with this oil as it is not “food” and was never intended to be. It gets worse as older we get because our blood flow pressure lose strength to break that “wall”, so it causes calcification and inflammation.
Photo by Corleto Peanut butter
