Do you know your current blood pressure? When you're under stress, your blood pressure may be higher. Your blood pressure also varies throughout the day, peaking at noon and lowest at night and while sleeping. Most people don't know they have high blood pressure because it has no symptoms. However, according to the American Heart Association, nearly half of all people in the United States have high blood pressure.
Limiting alcohol consumption, managing stress, exercising, and quitting smoking are some of the ways to control blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, you may also be told to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day, and just a teaspoon of salt can reach that amount. If you think you have to give up peanut butter because of its sodium content, there's no need to worry. One tablespoon of regular peanut butter contains 76 mg of sodium, and peanut butter with reduced sodium content is about half of that.
In addition to peanut butter being low in sodium, it also contains nutrients that are not only good for blood pressure but also good for cardiovascular health.
What are the benefits of peanut butter for blood pressure and heart health?
One tablespoon (16 grams) of low-sodium peanut butter contains 94 calories and less than 4 grams of protein. Although peanut butter contains 8 grams of fat, 6 grams of it comes from heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium are three minerals that help control blood pressure, and peanut butter provides 41 mg of calcium, which is about 40% of the daily magnesium, and more than 20% of the recommended potassium.
Peanuts themselves also have something to lower blood pressure and improve heart health. A 2014 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that after eating 42 grams of peanuts per day for 12 weeks, people who were already at risk of cardiovascular disease experienced significant improvements in their health. Specifically, their diastolic blood pressure (lower number) was reduced by an average of 5 percentage points, as was total cholesterol and triglycerides.
A 2022 article in Frontiers in Nutrition also found that adding 25 grams of peanuts per day for six months can improve your cholesterol levels. However, the group that added two tablespoons of peanut butter to their diet every day did not see a healthy improvement in cholesterol.
Does oleic acid in peanut butter help blood pressure?
Peanuts and peanut butter also contain a fatty acid called oleic acid, which can lower blood pressure. In a 2008 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers looked at the effects of oleic acid in olive oil on blood pressure. Olive oil contains 70 to 80 percent oleic acid. Studies have found that oleic acid lowers blood pressure by affecting cell membranes and signaling within cells. Soybean oil has a significantly lower oleic acid content and has no effect on blood pressure.
The USDA says oleic acid in different brands of peanut butter ranges from 19 to 27 percent of its total weight. In other words, even if you eat a lot of peanut butter, the concentration of oleic acid in peanut butter may not be enough to lower blood pressure. However, the American Heart Association says people who eat peanut butter (or other nut butter) tend to have a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. Just make sure to stick to a more natural form of peanut butter with fewer added ingredients and no sugar.