Is peanut butter good for people with diabetes?

Peanut butter is a nutritious, protein-rich source of fiber and magnesium that can form a part of a balanced diet. Peanut butter without added sugars or salt has a low glycemic index (GI), meaning when you eat it, it won’t cause a major spike in your blood sugar levels.

But, there are risks to consider when including peanut butter in your diet. Knowing more about these risks and benefits can help you to make informed choices to manage your condition.

Benefits of peanut butter

According to some sources, peanuts are a diabetes superfood. Including peanut butter in your diet has its benefits. Eating peanut butter is relatively inexpensive, making it a cheap and easy way to get some nutrients into your daily diet.

Researchers note that for people with type 2 diabetes, good quality peanut butter as a part of a low-carbohydrate diet can help to improve blood sugar levels and make managing your cholesterol levels easier.

The benefits of eating peanut butter, particularly for people with diabetes, include:

Low glycemic index

The glycemic index is a scoring system for different foods. It gives a food a clear ranking out of 100 to show how much it is likely to affect your blood sugar levels after consumption. Foods lower in carbohydrates and sugars that release their sugars slowly into your bloodstream will have a lower GI than a fast release food item.

High blood sugar spikes can cause stress in your body and lead to the development of type 2 diabetes or make the existing condition difficult to manage.

Peanut butter has a GI of just 14. This means that brands of peanut butter without excess added sugar will not cause a blood sugar spike. Research from 2021 suggests that consuming peanuts and peanut oil, like in peanut butter, during meals may reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes.

Regulate cholesterol

Eating a small amount of peanut butter can help reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in your body. Keeping your cholesterol level in check is important for preventing the development of cardiovascular disease, a common complication of type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium

Peanut butter is a rich source of magnesium. Research shows that magnesium supplementation has a beneficial effect both in people with diabetes and people at risk of developing it.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that your body needs to function. If you have diabetes, there is a chance that you may be deficient in magnesium. This is because low magnesium levels may have links with symptom severity in diabetes.

Risks of peanut butter

While peanut butter has its benefits for people with type 2 diabetes, there are some factors you must take into consideration when choosing to include peanut butter in your diet.

Salt and sugar content

Many peanut butter brands that you can buy in stores include additional salt and sugar. If you have type 2 diabetes, you should check for this by reading the label. Low fat peanut butter brands often add sugar.

Try to opt for all-natural peanut butter with only peanuts and maybe a small bit of salt.

Calorie intake

While peanut butter is rich in good-quality fats, it is high in calories. For example, just 2 tablespoons of peanut butter contains 190 calories.

Therefore, if you have type 2 diabetes and want to include peanut butter in your diet, regulate how much you eat to avoid unwanted weight gain.

Antinutrients

Peanut butter is high in the substance lectin. Lectin can interfere with how well your body absorbs other important minerals such as calcium and iron. Make sure you consume peanut butter in moderation and as a part of a well-rounded, balanced diet.

Other foods to try

A balanced diet and staying active will help you to better manage your blood sugar levels. Some foods may help boost your overall health and maintain a moderate weight.

The following foods are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber while having a low GI:

• sunflower seeds
• almond butter
• green beans
• salmon and other fish high in omega-3
• tomatoes
• whole grains

Diabetes treatments

Along with maintaining a moderate weight, eating a balanced diet, and regular exercise, a doctor may recommend medications to help you manage your blood sugar levels with type 2 diabetes. These medications will help keep your blood sugar levels in the target range.

Some of these medications you can take orally, and others are injectable. For example:

• long-acting insulin such as insulin degludec (Tresiba) or insulin glargine (Lantus)
• rapid-acting insulin, such as insulin aspart (Novolog)
• short-acting insulin like Humulin R
• metformin (Riomet)
• amylin analogs like pramlintide (Symlinpen) help lower blood glucose
• sulfonylureas, oral tablets help increase insulin production and include glimepiride (Amaryl)

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Summary

Peanut butter is a quick and easy snack that packs in lots of nutrients that are an essential part of a healthful diet. It’s usually beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes.

Peanut butter has a low GI and can even help regulate cholesterol levels.

However, you need to carefully choose your peanut butter as some kinds can be high in calories and hide added sugars. You shouldn’t be eating peanut butter if you have a peanut allergy.

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