Risks
If the patient has any other serious health con-
cerns, consultation with a physician is critical before
starting this or any diet plan. Patients should read the
precautions section of this diet to make sure that the
diet is appropriate for them. As stated previously,
pregnant and/or breastfeeding women with a history
of allergies should always consult with their physician
before starting the Peanut butter diet. An increased
sensitization to peanuts may occur in newborns or
infants.
Research and general acceptance
General Acceptance
No formal studies or data exist regarding the gen-
eral acceptance of this diet. The diet was featured exten-
sively inPreventionMagazine publications, suggesting
that subscribers and readers may have been more likely
to try the diet compared to non-subscribers and non-
readers.
Research
Research was conducted by Prevention Magazine
to determine the effectiveness of the Peanut butter diet.
An article entitled ‘‘Fight Fat with Peanut Butter-Real
Life Success Stories’’ was featured in the November
2002 issue ofPreventionMagazine. Successful partici-
pants were featured who lost up to 27 pounds and are
maintaining the loss by following the Peanut butter diet
during a field trial. As a group, Colleen Pierre (a regis-
tered dietitian and associate professor of nutrition at
Johns Hopkins University) and her colleagues lost a
total of 140 pounds over five months. None of the
participants became bored with the diet or with eating
peanut butter. The study participants were also pleased
to find that their cholesterol levels dropped while they
were on the diet. This added benefit underscores the
study conducted by the Pennsylvania State University,
whose research suggested that when included in a
healthy diet, peanuts and peanut butter lowers bad
LDL an! d total cholesterol by 14 and 11%.
No other formal research has been conducted on
the Peanut butter diet.Resources
BOOKS
McCord, Holly.The Peanut Butter Diet. Emmaus, PA:
Rodale, Inc., 2001.
PERIODICALS
Alper, C. M., and R. D. Mattes. ‘‘Peanut Consumption
Indices of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy
Adults.’’Journal of the American College of Nutrition
22, no. 2 (2003): 133–141.
McManus, K and F. Sacks. ‘‘A Randomized Controlled
Trial of a Moderate–Fat, Low–Energy Diet Compared
with a Low–Fat, Low–Energy Diet for Weight Loss in
Overweight Adults.’’International Journal of Obesity 25
(Oct 4, 2001): 1503–1511.
National Cholesterol Education Program. ‘‘Third Report of
the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)
Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment
of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Panel III)
Final Report. ’’Circulation106, no. 25 (Dec 17, 2002):
3143–421.
Prevention Magazine Staff. ‘‘Our Amazing Peanut Butter
Diet.’’PreventionAvailable online at http://www
.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1–4–121–48–1290–
1,00.html.
Reaven, G. M. ‘‘Diet and Syndrome X’’Curr Artheroscler
Rep2 (2000): 503–507.
ORGANIZATIONS
The Peanut Institute. P.O. Box 70157, Albany, Georgia- Telephone: 1-(229) 888-0216. Website:http://
[http://www.peanut-institute.org.](http://www.peanut-institute.org>.)
Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service,
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and
Microbial Biosciences, Sydney University, NSW 2006,
Australia. Website:http://theglycemicindex.com.
Deborah L. Nurmi, MSQUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR
DOCTOR Is this diet appropriate for me?
How long should I follow this diet?
Are there any special precautions I should
follow?
Are there any drug precautions I should be
aware of while following this diet?
I am allergic to peanuts. Can I eat other nut
butters instead of peanut butter?
How much exercise should I do each week in
conjunction with this diet?
How often should I weigh myself while
following this diet?
If I become bored on this diet, what can I do to
add variety?
Do you agree with the recommended caloric
intake for men (1500) and women (1200)?
I have high triglycerides. Is this diet safe for me to
follow?Peanut butter diet