Description
The peanut butter is obtained by the grinding of the seeds of peanuts. Some uncertain sources, attribute the discovery of this product to a chemist of Saint Louis, which it would seem that at the end of the nineteenth century, invented this food, as a strong substitute for meat protein, then food expensive and not accessible to all families of the less affluent social classes. In fact, the content of plant proteins present in peanut butter is very high in addition to a considerable fat content, for the most part monounsaturated, and a very good percentage of fibers and linoleic acid.
The most famous manufacturer of peanut butter in the world is definitely the former president of the United States Jimmy Carter, who owns a large plantation in Plains, Georgia.
This sort of paste, is composed by the use of other products such as palm oil, the addition of sugar and salt. But in addition to fat, peanut butter contains vitamins, protein, calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
A similar product is made in the Middle East and is called “Tahina“, a traditional food for many centuries, known in North Africa, Greece-based sesame seeds. Certainly this food can not and must not fail in the pantries of US kitchens, which is often served in the sandwich as a sauce, made of two slices of bread, which is spread on a peanut butter and the other slice is spread jam, often of blueberries and strawberries. This food is also often used for the realization of baked confectionery products, such as the so famous “Scorched peanut cookies”.
Production
To realize this cream, the procedure is as follows: initially the seeds of peanuts are roasted at a temperature of about 160 degrees, they are then sprinkled with salt in a percentage equal to 2 or three percent. It takes place after the grinding and then to finish the dough. Once the oily part tends to leak out, this automatically separates from the butter, up to climb the top of the jar.
The food industry, adds in addition to conventional ingredients, also additives which have the function of stabilizing, together with the emulsifiers and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenated oil that we mentioned just now, are very harmful to our health, in many if they are consumed in excess, predispose to atherosclerosis, serious cardiovascular and coronary disease and consequently cardiac infarction. However, partially hydrogenated fats, are added to the construction of the peanut butter in very small quantities, sufficient to harness the rich triglycerides of unsaturated fatty acids and to avoid floating in oil surface so as to improve the printability of the product. If we make a hypothesis, calculating that the proportion of partially hydrogenated fatty acids is equal to 3%, and bearing in mind that these contain about 40% of trans acids, we can say that a portion of 30 grams of peanut butter, contains less than half of a gram of hydrogenated fatty acids.
If you follow a healthy and balanced diet, it is recommended to limit as much as possible the intake of this product, which should not be consumed more than five grams per day.
Nutritional properties
Among the many nutritional qualities of peanut butter, one that stands out is the high protein content, in oleic acid, vitamin B3, vitamin E, magnesium, folic acid and dietary fiber. If peanut butter is produced by keeping the outer skins, which is the skin that covers the seed, this product is also rich in polyphenols and resveratrol, the same antioxidant found in grape skins and red wine.
Peanuts in general, as well as also the products made from it such as peanut butter, is the food that often cause anaphylactic reactions of very serious nature of maintenance. These reactions are in fact true allergies and their product and grow from 0.4 to 0, 6% of the population. Another problem that can cause the assumption of peanut butter or peanut in general, is given by the contamination of aflatoxins, which are of dangerous substances, which are produced by some fungi.
Now that we have described the dangers which can threaten the health of consumers, we must add, that today all production stages of the supply chain for the production of peanut butter, are followed with particular care. As we mentioned above, at the beginning, if this food is used as a delicacy or whim spreads over the bread after a meal, maybe instead of chocolate, you must always remember that it is a high-calorie and high-fat food, and certainly It is not good for your line, but especially to health.
