Is Your Peanut Butter a Health Food or a Hidden Health Risk?

Jul '25 (edited) • Give Advice

Let’s talk Peanut Nutter (aka commercial peanut butter) vs. other nut butters and the truth about what’s hiding in your jar.

Here’s what you might not know-

1. The Mold Problem with Peanuts

Peanuts aren’t actually nuts—they’re legumes that grow underground. And unfortunately, that makes them highly prone to aflatoxin contamination, a toxic mold linked to liver stress and even cancer.

Unless certified mold-free (very rare), most peanuts—even organic ones—carry some aflatoxins.

👎 Skippy and Jif? Not mold-tested.

2. Oil Profile Matters

Peanuts naturally contain omega-6 fats, which are pro-inflammatory when out of balance. But most mainstream brands don’t stop there—they add more inflammatory oils like-

• Soybean oil

• Cottonseed oi

• Rapeseed (canola) oil

These are ultra-processed industrial seed oils that can contribute to metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and gut issues. They can stay in your body for up to 2 years.

Natural almond or cashew butters have a better fat profile and are less prone to mold—but always check the label for added oils!

3. Ingredient Check

What’s Really In There?

Grab a jar of Skippy or Jif. You’ll likely see -

• Peanuts

• Sugar (corn syrup)

• Fully hydrogenated vegetable oil (aka inflammatory, damaging trans fat in disguise)

• Salt

• Molasses

That’s not food. That’s a chemistry experiment.

Now compare that with a true natural nut butter -

"Ingredients - Almonds.