Made right here in New Zealand, Pic’s Peanut Butter is one of the most delicious things to grace the planet. Roasted and ground with only Hi-Oleic peanuts and a little salt (if you so wish), you won’t find a peanut butter with a more delicious flavour.

And let’s be honest, we all love food that tastes amazing. The flavour is truly as remarkable as the Pic’s story itself.

But what sets Pic’s ahead of the rest, is its superior nutritional profile and numerous health benefits. Taste and nutrition should go hand in hand and Pic’s Peanut Butter is as good for you as it tastes.

Made from the highest-quality Australian grown Hi-Oleic peanuts, Pic’s Peanut Butter offers superior health benefits to conventional peanut butter. Why use Australian grown peanuts?

Well, we can’t grow such amazing peanuts here in New Zealand and these Hi-Oleic runner peanuts are naturally bred peanuts that contain a fatty acid profile similar to Olive Oil, well known for its numerous health benefits (1). But most importantly, they contain a much greater proportion of Oleic acid compared to normal peanuts (75% vs. 55%) (1).

Oleic acid is a well-known monounsaturated fatty acid that offers a number of health benefits. This much higher proportion of Oleic acid in Pic’s Peanut Butter is what really makes Pic’s special nutritionally.

Diets high in monounsaturated fat such as Oleic acid have been shown to:

• Improve our cholesterol profile by reducing dangerous LDL cholesterol (2, 3).
• Reduce the amount of fat we carry in our blood, also known as triglycerides (2).

Whilst the high Oleic acid content of Pic’s Peanut Butter serves to offer an array of heart health benefits via its positive effect on cholesterol and triglycerides, Pic’s Peanut Butter is even more remarkable because it combines the health benefits of these healthy fats along with being a wonderful source of both protein and fibre. A winning nutrition trifecta!

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Not only this, but it also contains these health-promoting nutrients (and more) in greater amounts compared to regular peanut butter:

• Protein (30.3% vs. ~26%). Protein is an important macronutrient that supplies amino acids for the building and repair of muscle tissue. It is especially important to include a source of protein at meal times and after exercise to satisfy hunger and to assist with recovery. Pic’s Peanut Butter can be added to smoothies, yoghurt, muesli and sliced fruit for a delicious protein boost!
•  Fibre (7.7g per 100g vs. ~6g). Adequate fibre is needed for a healthy digestive system. Foods rich in fibre are also highly satisfying which means they help to keep you feeling fuller for longer so you are less likely to snack on less nutritious foods. This in turns helps you to maintain a healthy body weight.
•  Vitamin E. Just two tablespoons each day of Pic’s Peanut Butter will provide a woman with around 20% and a man with around 29% of their daily Vitamin E needs (4). Vitamin E is an important anti-oxidant which helps to slow down the effects of ageing and inflammation by mopping up free-radical damage within the body.
• Vitamin B3. Vitamin B3 is needed to help the body convert energy from food into fuel our bodies can use as well as being important for a healthy liver and nervous system. Just two tablespoons of Pic’s Peanut Butter daily provides a woman with around 30% of her daily Vitamin B3 needs and a man around 25% of his daily needs (4).

Hi-Oleic peanuts have also been purported to have positive effects on using fat as a source of fuel, how much energy we expend after eating and glucose control.

• Due to their high monounsaturated fat content, Hi-Oleic acid peanuts increase the body’s ability to use fat as a source of fuel, whereas foods higher in saturated fat are prone to be stored as body fat (5).
• Hi-Oleic peanuts have been shown to increase the amount of energy we use after eating them compared to eating regular peanuts. This means controlling a healthy body weight is easier by choosing Hi-Oleic peanuts and peanut butter because our body uses more energy digesting them than regular peanuts (5).
• When we eat Oleic acid from foods such as Pic’s Peanut Butter, a bio-active compound named Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) is formed which helps to increase our feelings of fullness. It is thought that when OEA increases in the small intestine that it regulates appetite control which means we are less likely to overeat (6).
• Diets rich in monounsaturated fat have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation which is important for reducing the risk of diabetes. Given Hi-Oleic peanuts contain a much great proportion of Oleic acid, a major monounsaturated fat; more benefits are likely to be observed in those that choose Hi-Oleic peanuts over regular peanuts, especially for those people who already have a healthy body weight (3).

In addition to the positive benefits of Hi-Oleic peanuts on our health and well-being, the high Oleic acid content of Pic’s Peanut Butter also means it oxidises less readily than peanut butter made with conventionally grown peanuts making its shelf life and stability 11 times greater than regular peanut butter (1, 3). This is good news for you as it means your peanut butter will taste just as great right to the very bottom of the jar!

Despite its high healthy fat and energy content, eating a controlled amount of good quality peanut butter daily is beneficial to our heart health, digestive health and achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. This is due to its high Oleic acid content along with providing a beneficial source of protein, fibre and Vitamin E.

Pic’s Peanut Butter makes a delicious and nutritious addition to meals and snacks to ensure you enjoy not only the best tasting peanut butter around but also its numerous health benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References
1. Peanut Company of Australia (PCA). High Oleic Peanuts – http://www.pca.com.au/pdfs/factsheets/hioleicpeanuts.pdf

1. Kris-Etherton, P.M; Pearson, T.A; Wan, Y; Hargrove, R.L; Moriarty, K; Fishell, V; Etherton, T.D. (1999). High-Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Diets Lower both Plasma Cholesterol and Triacylglycerol Concentrations. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(6): 1009-1015.

2. Barbour, J.A; Howe, P.R; Buckley, J.D; Bryan, J; Coates, A.M. (2015). Effect of 12 Weeks High Oleic Peanut Consumption on Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors and Body Composition. Nutrients, 7 (9): 7381-7398.

3. NHMRC. 2006. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Executive Summary. Canberra: NHMRC, Wellington: Ministry of Health.

4. Alves, R; Moreira, A; Macedo, V; de Cássia, G; Breaan, J; Mattes, R; Costa, N. (2014) HighOleic Peanuts Increase Diet-Induced Thermogenesis in Overweight and Obese Men. Obesity, 22: 1422-1429.

5. Mennella, I; Savarese, M; Ferracane, R; Sacchi, R; Vitaglione, P. (2015). Oleic Acid Content of a Meal Promotes Oleoylethanolamide Response and Reduces Subsequent Energy Intake in Humans. Food & Function, 6 (1): 204-210.

Blog written by Emily Hope, of Hope Nutrition.