Sugar in Peanut Butter – What’s the Deal?
Sugar: we prefer to go without it! But what about the sugar in peanut butter? Is it possible to find a peanut butter that’s truly sugar-free? The short answer is: not entirely. Peanuts naturally contain around 6% sugar, so no peanut butter is completely free of sugar. However, there is a big difference between peanut butters with added (refined) sugars and those without.
So, what exactly is the difference between refined sugars and naturally occurring sugars?
Refined Sugars
For a long time, I assumed natural sugars were simply healthier – although I couldn’t really explain why. It turns out the problem with refined sugars lies in how they’re produced.
Refined sugar typically comes from sugar beets, which go through a lengthy industrial process: they’re heated multiple times, centrifuged, dried, and treated with additives such as calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide. What’s left is a highly processed sugar stripped of all its natural fibres, vitamins and minerals – and that’s a shame, because your body actually needs those nutrients.
When you consume refined sugar, two main things happen:
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Your blood sugar spikes – because there’s no fibre to help slow down the absorption. Not long after, it crashes again, often leaving you tired and sluggish (think of how kids crash after eating too many sweets!).
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Your body looks for nutrients – but the refined sugar doesn’t offer any. So, your body starts drawing vitamins and minerals from healthy cells in order to process the sugar. Over time, this can even lead to nutrient deficiencies.
Unfortunately, refined sugar is found in many supermarket peanut butters – especially the crunchy varieties. Sugar stimulates the brain’s reward centre much like certain drugs, which is exactly why it can feel addictive. Food manufacturers know this and take full advantage. That’s why it’s so important to check the ingredients list on the label if you want to avoid added sugar.
Natural Sugars
Even peanut butter without added sugar still contains sugar – but only the naturally occurring kind. The key difference is that natural sugar comes with the right balance of fibre, vitamins and minerals to help your body absorb and process it gradually. Nature has got it just right, and our bodies know how to handle it.
If you choose one of our peanut butters – without chocolate or caramel – you can be confident there’s not a single grain of refined sugar in the jar. :)
To sum it up:
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All peanut butters contain some sugar naturally.
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Naturally occurring sugar is far better for your body because it's absorbed in a controlled way.
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Many supermarket peanut butters contain refined sugar – so always read the label.
Our peanut butters come in 7 delicious flavours, all free from added sugars. At De Pindakaaswinkel, we do our very best to bring you the tastiest peanut butter in the Netherlands – in the healthiest way possible!