The Effect of Added Peanut Butter on the Glycemic Response to a High–Glycemic Index Meal: A Pilot Study

Year Published: 2018

Journal of the American College of Nutrition

Lilly LN, Heiss CJ, Maragoudakis SF, Braden KL, Smith SE

Sixteen adults between 18 and 30 years old were studied to investigate the effect of peanut butter consumption with a high glycemic index meal on blood sugar. Blood sugar levels were tested at 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after eating a breakfast of white bread and apple juice. Two days later, participants ate the same breakfast with a serving of peanut butter (2 tablespoons) added to the meal.

Key Findings: Authors found that when peanut butter was added to the high glycemic index meal, the spike in blood glucose was significantly lower than without the peanut butter. They explained that this effect may be due in part to the high protein and healthy fat content of peanut butter.