Know2eat

Peanut butter

Arachis hypogaea

What peanut butter has been studied for

3 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 3 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About peanut butter

Roasted peanuts ground to a paste, with salt and often sugar and stabilising fat added in commercial versions. The USDA reference entry is smooth peanut butter of the standard commercial type, so it already includes those additions.

Also known as Groundnut paste, Peanut paste, Peanut spread

Heart HealthWeight Management

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Meta-analyses of nut feeding trials, peanuts included, report small reductions in LDL and total cholesterol when nuts replace other foods. Commercial peanut butter carries added sugar and fat that the trial foods generally did not.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Cardiovascular risk markers

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Cohort studies consistently associate regular nut and peanut consumption with lower cardiovascular risk, and feeding trials report small improvements in blood lipids. Observational findings of this kind carry residual confounding, and most trial work used whole nuts rather than sweetened commercial spreads.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Satiety and appetite

Weight Management
Insufficient evidence

Several trials report that peanuts and peanut butter increase fullness and that adding them to the diet raises body weight less than their calorie content predicts. The effect is modest and the trials are mostly short.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Peanut butter

Ask about Peanut butter

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories588 kcal29%
Protein21.9 g44%
Total fat49.5 g64%
Carbohydrate24 g9%
Fibre5.7 g20%
Total sugars6.5 g—
Water1.55 g—
Fats
Saturated fat9.52 g48%
Monounsaturated fat20.7 g—
Polyunsaturated fat11.3 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0.012 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)11.3 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E5.94 mg40%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.107 mg9%
Riboflavin (B2)0.105 mg8%
Niacin (B3)13.2 mg82%
Pantothenic acid (B5)1.04 mg21%
Vitamin B60.551 mg32%
Folate35 µg9%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline65.7 mg12%
Minerals
Calcium54 mg4%
Iron2.16 mg12%
Magnesium179 mg43%
Phosphorus335 mg27%
Potassium592 mg13%
Sodium476 mg21%
Zinc2.67 mg24%
Copper0.571 mg63%
Manganese1.36 mg59%
Selenium40.4 µg73%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash3 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Peanut Butter, smooth (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174294).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • groundIncreases fat and energy absorption

    Grinding ruptures the cell walls that keep some fat inaccessible in whole peanuts, so more of the energy in peanut butter is absorbed than from the same weight of whole nuts.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Peanut allergy

    Peanut is among the leading causes of food-related anaphylaxis and peanut butter is a concentrated, widely distributed form. Traces reach places people do not expect, including sauces, baked goods and shared equipment. Early introduction in infancy is now advised in several countries to reduce the chance of allergy developing, but that guidance is for infants without existing reactions and should follow clinical advice where there is eczema or egg allergy.

  • Worth knowing

    Aflatoxin

    Peanuts are among the crops most susceptible to Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin formation, particularly when grown or stored in warm humid conditions. Aflatoxin is a potent liver carcinogen. Regulated markets test and reject contaminated lots, which is why the risk is concentrated in informally traded peanuts and home-ground pastes in high-burden regions.

  • Worth knowing

    Added sugar, salt and palm oil

    Most commercial peanut butter contains added sugar, salt and hydrogenated or palm fat to stop separation. Products listing only peanuts, and perhaps salt, are a meaningfully different food from the standard supermarket spread this entry describes.

  • Worth knowing

    Choking hazard for young children

    Thick spoonfuls of peanut butter are a recognised choking risk in children under four. Thinning it or spreading it thinly is the standard advice.