Yes. Peanut butter is a good fit for high cholesterol when it replaces butter or other saturated fat, in portions of 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Peanut butter has no cholesterol, and most of its fat is unsaturated: about 12 g of the 16 g in a 2-tablespoon serving. That serving has 3.3 g of saturated fat, about a quarter of a 13 g daily target. In a controlled feeding trial, diets using peanut butter and other unsaturated fats in place of saturated fat lowered LDL cholesterol by 14%. The catch is calories (about 190 per 2 tablespoons), so it works best as a swap, not an extra.
Peanut butter: nutrition per serving
| Food and serving | Sat fat | Cholesterol | Fibre | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth peanut butter2 tbsp (32 g) · FDC 172470 | 3.3 g | 0 mg | 1.6 g | 191 |
| Crunchy peanut butter2 tbsp (32 g) · FDC 172469 | 2.4 g | 0 mg | 2.6 g | 188 |
| Reduced-fat peanut butter2 tbsp (32 g) · FDC 172458 | 1.8 g | 0 mg | 1.7 g | 166 |
| Dry-roasted peanuts1 oz (28 g) · FDC 173806 | 2.2 g | 0 mg | 2.4 g | 164 |
| Butter, for comparison1 tbsp (14 g) · FDC 173410 | 7.2 g | 30 mg | 0 g | 100 |
Of the 16 g of fat in 2 tbsp of smooth peanut butter, about 8 g is monounsaturated and 4 g polyunsaturated. USDA does not split peanut fibre into soluble and insoluble. Source: USDA FoodData Central (public domain); search the FDC number to see the full record. Values are rounded and vary by brand and recipe.
How 2 tablespoons fits your saturated fat budget
Two level tablespoons of smooth peanut butter use about a quarter of a 13 g day. A tablespoon of butter uses more than half. So spreading 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on toast instead of butter cuts the saturated fat on that slice from about 7 g to under 2 g, and adds a little fibre and protein.
Bars show each serving against about 13 g a day, the American Heart Association's target (under 6% of 2,000 calories) for people lowering LDL. Work out your own number with the saturated fat calculator.
What the trials found
The clearest test is a 1999 Penn State feeding study. Twenty-two adults ate five diets in turn, with all their food provided: an average American diet, a low-fat diet, and three higher-fat diets rich in monounsaturated fat from olive oil, peanut oil, or peanuts and peanut butter. Compared with the average American diet, the high-monounsaturated diets lowered LDL cholesterol by 14% and triglycerides by 13%, without lowering HDL. The low-fat diet lowered LDL by a similar amount but raised triglycerides and lowered HDL.
The detail that matters: the peanut diet was still low in saturated fat overall (8% of calories, against 16% in the average diet). Peanut butter helped because it replaced butter, fatty meat and full-fat dairy, not because it was added on top.
Peanuts are botanically legumes, so the big meta-analysis of nut trials (61 trials, about 1 oz of tree nuts a day lowering LDL by 4.8 mg/dL) doesn't include them. Their fat profile is similar to many tree nuts, though.
What to look for on the jar
- Ingredients: peanuts, or peanuts and salt. "No-stir" jars often add palm oil or hydrogenated vegetable oil to stop the oil separating. Palm oil is about half saturated fat, so it nudges the total up.
- Saturated fat per serving. The jars in our peanut butter brand comparison ranged from about 2 g to 3.5 g per 2 tablespoons. Smooth versus crunchy makes less difference than one jar versus another.
- Reduced-fat versions have less saturated fat, but they also have less of the unsaturated fat you want, and the fat is usually replaced with other ingredients. A smaller portion of ordinary peanut butter does the same job.
- Powdered peanut butter has most of the oil pressed out, so it's almost free of saturated fat. It works in porridge and smoothies, though it's less filling on toast.
Better ways to eat it
- On toast or crackers instead of butter, or instead of cream cheese on a bagel.
- Stirred into porridge with sliced banana. The oats add soluble fibre, which lowers LDL in its own right (see are oats good for cholesterol?).
- As a dip for apple slices or celery, instead of a cheese-and-crackers snack.
- In sauces: a spoonful thinned with lime juice, soy sauce and water makes a satay-style dressing for noodles or a chicken stir-fry.
- In snacks: try the no-bake oat and peanut butter bites or chocolate peanut butter nice cream.
Peanut butter cups, peanut butter cookies and peanut butter ice cream are a different story: most of their saturated fat comes from chocolate, butter or cream.
How much is sensible?
One to two level tablespoons a day is a sensible amount for most people. That's 1.7 to 3.3 g of saturated fat and 95 to 190 calories. A "tablespoon" scooped straight from the jar is often closer to two, so weigh it once (16 g per level tablespoon) to calibrate your eye.
If you're also trying to lose weight, count the calories: 4 tablespoons a day adds about 380. Losing excess weight lowers triglycerides more than LDL, so the swap matters more than the amount.
General information, not medical advice
This page is for education and doesn't diagnose or treat anything. If you have high cholesterol, take medication or have another health condition, check changes to your diet with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Frequently asked questions
Is peanut butter bad for cholesterol?
No. Peanut butter contains no cholesterol, and about three-quarters of its fat is unsaturated. Two tablespoons has about 3.3 g of saturated fat, a quarter of a 13 g daily target. It only becomes a problem in large amounts, or in products where it comes with chocolate, butter or palm oil.
Does peanut butter have cholesterol in it?
No. Cholesterol is only found in animal foods, so peanut butter has 0 mg. What affects your blood cholesterol more is saturated fat, and peanut butter has less than butter, cheese or fatty meat.
Are peanuts good for cholesterol?
Yes. A 1 oz (28 g) handful of dry-roasted peanuts has about 2.2 g of saturated fat and 2.4 g of fibre. In a controlled feeding trial, a diet using peanuts and peanut butter in place of saturated fat lowered LDL cholesterol about as much as olive oil did. Unsalted peanuts are better if you are also watching your blood pressure.
How much peanut butter can I eat a day with high cholesterol?
One to two level tablespoons a day fits most eating plans. That is 1.7 to 3.3 g of saturated fat and 95 to 190 calories. Use it in place of butter or cheese rather than on top of them.
Is smooth or crunchy peanut butter better for cholesterol?
It makes little difference. In USDA data, crunchy peanut butter had slightly less saturated fat than smooth (2.4 g vs 3.3 g per 2 tablespoons), but the gap between brands is bigger. Check the label and pick a jar that is just peanuts, or peanuts and salt.
Scan or log peanut butter in Heart Tracker
Scan the barcode on your jar to see its saturated fat per serving, or search for peanut butter and log the amount you actually spread. Heart Tracker adds it to your daily saturated fat, cholesterol and fibre totals, so you can see how a swap from butter changes your day.
Download Heart Tracker FreeRelated guides
Sources
- Kris-Etherton PM, et al. High-monounsaturated fatty acid diets lower both plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;70(6):1009–15.
- Del Gobbo LC, et al. Effects of tree nuts on blood lipids, apolipoproteins, and blood pressure: meta-analysis of 61 trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(6):1347–56.
- USDA FoodData Central: peanut butter, smooth (FDC 172470), chunk style (172469), reduced fat (172458); peanuts, dry-roasted (173806); butter, salted (173410).
- American Heart Association: Saturated fat (under 6% of calories, about 13 g on 2,000 calories).
- NHS: Fat, the facts (30 g a day for men, 20 g for women).