Probably you are aware of the importance of pH in the body. We must keep an eye on the pH of the food we eat because extreme changes in pH can even cause death. Peanuts are popular snacks, eaten raw in biscuits, butter, and sweet dishes. Peanut butter is a popular use of peanuts. Therefore, one must be aware of the pH of peanut butter to check if it is acidic or alkaline. So, is peanut butter acidic?
Peanut butter is acidic. It has a pH of 6.3, which makes it slightly acidic. Foods with high acidity can cause cancer. Peanut butter does not cause cancer or acid reflux in the body as highly acidic foods do because of its slightly acidic nature.
Read on to know further.
Table of Content
Is Peanut Butter Acidic Or Alkaline?
It is necessary to understand how pH works in order to understand the acidic and alkaline nature of food. The pH scale is a scientifically accepted scale. A substance’s acidity and alkalinity are determined by its position on this scale. Food or other substances with a number 7 are neutral. An acidic substance shows all values below 7 and an alkaline substance shows all values above 7. Those values that fall closer to 7 tend to be neutral. You can say that these values are slightly acidic or slightly basic.
Let’s now talk about peanut butter, as many peanut lovers want to know, are peanuts acidic or alkaline? The pH value of peanut butter is 6.34. This value is less than 7, which indicates that it is acidic. Additionally, this value is quite close to 7, indicating that it is slightly acidic in nature.
Peanut butter is not alkaline by nature, rather it has a pH of 6.34, making it slightly acidic.
Peanut Butter And Stomach Acid
You may often get confused in thoughts like, is peanut butter bad for GERD? Peanut butter is thought to cause acid reflux in the stomach by many people. Peanut butter can cause acid reflux only if taken in large quantities. It contains a high-fat content and a high number of calories. A burning sensation usually occurs in the esophagus, back, and lower part of the mouth due to acid reflux.
Is Peanut Butter Bad For Gout?
Gout is characterized by painful inflammation (swelling) of the toe joint. Uric acid accumulates at the toe joint during this process. Knees and ankles are also susceptible to this inflammation. As a result of the high levels of uric acid in the blood, uric acid accumulates in the joints.
Purine, a substance found in the body, is responsible for producing uric acid. Purine plays a crucial role in the metabolism of uric acid. Our diet may contain a high amount of purine. Therefore, we should avoid consuming purines by checking the food we eat.
Does peanut butter affect gout? Peanut butter, on the other hand, contains much less purine. In other words, peanut butter does not have any side effects for gout sufferers.
Further, diets that are the primary source of protein for us can also provide us with purines. Purine can be found in foods such as chicken, pork, crab, lean beef, mussels, etc.Foods like these should be avoided. However, by avoiding these foods, we are also depriving our bodies of protein. A diet that provides you with a sufficient amount of protein and a low amount of purine is therefore ideal.
Peanut butter is a suitable option in this case. Our body needs amino acids from the proteins to work properly. Except for L-methionine, all other essential amino acids are present in peanut butter. This one essential amino acid can be gotten through the consumption of eggs.
Thus, peanut butter can become a better option for persons suffering from gout.
Does Peanut Butter Cause Heartburn?
As we discussed earlier, peanut butter does not adversely affect stomach acid when consumed in limited quantities. Acid reflux occurs when food from your stomach starts moving back into your esophagus. You will feel a burning sensation in your chest, heartburn and may also experience a sour taste at the back of your mouth. Does peanut butter give heartburn?
If peanut butter is taken in large amounts, it can trigger acid reflux, thus peanut butter causing stomach pain leads to heartburn. How can peanut butter cause acid reflux? Any fat-rich food taken in excess can result in acid reflux. Because excess fatty acids affect the opening and closing of the lower esophageal sphincter muscle.
This lower sphincter in the esophagus prevents the backflow movement of food by closing itself, from the stomach to the esophagus, thus preventing acid reflux and heartburn. Excess fat prevents the sphincter muscles from relaxing properly, causing the foodstuff from the stomach to return to the esophagus. As we know, peanut butter is rich in fat and calories, and if taken in large amounts can cause heartburn.
Is Peanut Butter Good For You?
Besides being rich in fats, calories, and phosphorus that can cause health complications, it can also provide many health benefits. Peanut butter health benefits are listed below:
Heart Health:
Is peanut butter bad for your heart? You may be surprised to learn that peanut butter is healthy for the heart, due to the fats in it. The fats present in peanut butter are unsaturated fats. These fats are actually healthy fats, long as they are consumed in limited amounts. Unsaturated fats work by lowering the cholesterol level in the blood, reducing heart diseases.
Weight Loss:
Are you wondering, does peanut butter help you lose weight? Despite the fact that peanut butter is rich in calories, it can help a person lose weight. Peanut butter protein and fiber ratio result in a person feeling full without even eating too much. Peanut butter can help you lose weight by suppressing your appetite.
Prevent Cancer:
Many antioxidants, including vitamin E, vitamin B, and manganese, are present in peanut butter. In addition to these compounds, peanut butter also contains coumaric acid, a very efficient antioxidant. All these antioxidants prevent cancer risks, removing toxins from the body.
Prevent Diabetes:
Among the unsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid assists the body in the reduction of insulin resistance, which causes diabetes.
FAQs:
- Is peanut butter bad for you?
Peanut butter can cause acid reflux if taken in large amounts. It contains a high amount of phosphorus, which can limit the absorption of zinc and iron by the body. Many people have an allergy to peanut butter, which can prove fatal sometimes.
- Which foods can cause acid reflux?
Citrus fruits, tomatoes, noodles, fish, peanuts, beans, red meat, alcohol, cheese, spicy foods, carbonated drinks, coffee, caffeinated beverages, coffee, etc., can cause acid reflux.
- Is peanut butter good for GERD?
As long as you are taking peanut butter in a limited amount, it will not affect acid production in the stomach, which causes GERD. But if taken in large amounts, it can aggravate GERD.
Conclusion
So, confusion about “is peanut butter acidic” must be cleared. Peanut butter is slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.34. Even though it is acidic, it does not cause acid reflux unless taken in excess amounts. This food provides protein and good fats, and if taken in moderation does not cause any side effects.
