If you're allergic to peanuts but still enjoy the taste of peanut butter, soy butter may be a viable alternative for your predicament. Soy butter is made with roasted soybeans in lieu of peanuts. They are churned into a cream, which you can use for soy versions of classic snacks like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and peanut butter cookies. An added bonus is that soy butter also has several health benefits.
Lower in Fat
Soy butter contains approximately one-third less fat than standard peanut butter, according to Annette Natow and JoAnn Heslin in their book "The Fat Counter." Unlike regular peanut butter that can contain upwards of 16 g of fat per 2 tablespoons, soy butter usually contains 13 g of fat, with 2 g saturated and the other 11 g mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help decrease low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol, thereby, reducing your risk of heart attack, stroke and arterial disease.
Disease Prevention
The two isoflavones present in soy -- genistein and daidzein -- may help lower your risk of developing hormone-related diseases, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and endometriosis, according to Ronald Klatz in his book "The Official Anti-Aging Revolution." Although further research is warranted, women who eat soy-based foods, like soy butter, have significantly less "high-risk" dense breast tissue linked to breast cancer, notes Klatz. Genistein, in particular, may block the synthesis of the protein tyrosine kinase, which promotes the growth and proliferation of tumor cells.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Not only can soy butter help lower your cholesterol and aid in the prevention of several diseases, it can also help to lower your systolic blood pressure by approximately 6 mmHg if consumed with a high-fiber, low-fat and low-sodium diet, according to Stephen and Jan Sinatra in the book "Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks." Soy products, like soy butter, may also encourage blood sugar regulation for diabetics who are also susceptible to high blood pressure as well as high cholesterol and triglycerides, the authors note.
References
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- "The Official Anti-Aging Revolution"; Ronald Klatz; 2008
- "The Fat Counter"; Annette Natow and JoAnn Heslin; 2005
- "Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks"; Stephen Sinatra and Jan Sinatra; 2003
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