If you thought that peanut butter sandwiches were only for kids, here's something you should know. Peanut butter has several health benefits — it has the enviable combination of fiber and protein, which makes it filling.

This makes you feel full longer, so you end up eating less overall. It is also packed with nutrition because a serving of peanut butter has 3 mg of the powerful antioxidant vitamin E, 49 mg of bone-building magnesium, 208 mg of muscle-friendly potassium, and 0.17 mg of immunity-boosting vitamin B6. Studies have also shown that having peanuts can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other types of chronic health conditions. One study even found that consuming one ounce of nuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter about five times a week can lower the risk of developing diabetes by a whopping 30%.

Peanut butter is also high with monounsaturated-rated fat, which is good for the heart. Researchers say that insulin-resistant adults who ate a diet high in monounsaturated fat had less belly fat than people who ate more carbohydrates or saturated fat. Peanuts contain high concentrations of poly-phenolic antioxidants, which reduce the risk of stomach cancer by reducing the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. They are also an excellent source of resveratrol, an antioxidant, which has protective function against cancers, heart disease, degenerative nerve disease, Alzheimer's disease, and viral/ fungal infections.

BDST: 1700 HRS, FEB- 29, 2016
Edited by: Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor