Did you know a peanut isn’t a nut, it’s actually a
legume? We tend to avoid legumes because of the systemic inflammation they can
cause in our body. Peanuts are no exception. Virtually any tree nut is better
for you in our book than peanuts.
In the last decade, peanut allergies have developed with
increasing intensity. Between 1997 and 2002 peanut allergies doubled in young
children. The exact cause for this is still unknown, but there are naturally
occurring molds found on peanuts, which your body may recognize as foreign
invaders, in turn creating an inflammatory response. Peanuts also contain
proteins called lectins, which have proven to be problematic for digestion. Ultimately,
even if you don’t think you have adverse reactions to peanuts, to promote a
healthy gut and immune system, it’s best to avoid them.
We know giving up peanut butter can be one of the most
difficult challenges. There's something innately American that makes us love to
eat peanut butter straight from the jar or put it on just about anything. But,
to live better and healthier, we recommend other nut butter options that we
believe are just as delicious and will promote a better diet.
We buy raw cashew butter because not only is it creamy
and delicious (almost like nutty icing!), but out of other nut butters it has
the one of the better ratios of healthy monounsaturated fats. Raw almond butter
is also a top choice for us as a good source of calcium, magnesium and vitamin
B6. Both are easy to find at a WholeFoods or other gourmet grocery
stores.
Whether you're adding nut butter to a smoothie or
smearing it on an apple, we hope you'll choose raw cashew or raw almond butter to
promote a healthier gut response.
Here's the product we recommend. Yes, it can be pricey -- but once you try it you'll be hooked; we assure you it's worth it!
Here's the product we recommend. Yes, it can be pricey -- but once you try it you'll be hooked; we assure you it's worth it!
I would love to see some data associated with your comments. As far as I have seen; legumes actually induce an antioxidant quality to them. When comparing raw nuts cashews are better then peanuts, but both of them have antioxidant efficacy. When comparing roasted nuts peanut butter and peanuts are better then cashews.
ReplyDeletehttp://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2012/fo/c2fo10152a
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23442677
Hi Anonymous, thanks for the comment! Question for you to clarify as a follow-up: Would you consider the antioxidant composition in peanuts to outweigh the mycotoxins and lectins they contain?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jessie, for turning me on to cashew butter. It is delicious!
ReplyDeleteI know! Like icing :). So glad you like it!
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