ORGANIZATIONS
Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University, 571
Weniger Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-6512. Telephone:
(541) 717-5075. Fax: (541) 737-5077. Website:<http://
lpi.oregonstate.edu>
OTHER
Higdon, Jane. ‘‘Pantothenic Acid.’’ Linus Pauling Institute-
Oregon State University, May 26, 2004.<http://lpi
.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/pa>
Maryland Medical Center Programs Center for Integrative
Medicine. ‘‘Vitamin B 5 (Pantothenic Acid).’’ University
of Maryland Medical Center, April 2002.<http://www
.umm.edu/altmed/ConsSupplements/VitaminB 5 Panto
thenicAcidcs.html>
Medline Plus. ‘‘Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B%), Dexpan-
therol.’’ U. S. National Library of Medicine, January
23, 2007.<http://www.nlm.nih/gov/medlineplus/
druginfo/natural/patient-vitaminb5.html>
Northwesternutrition ‘‘NutritionFact Sheet: Pantothenic
Acid.’’ Northwestern University, September 21, 2006.
<http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/
factsheets/pantothenic-acid.html>Tish Davidson, A.M.Peanut butter diet
Definition
The peanut butter diet is a diet plan developed by
Holly McCord, nutrition editor of Prevention maga-
zine, a popular health and nutrition magazine. The
diet allows consumers to enjoy peanut butter every
day while still achieving their weight loss goals. The
diet is appealing because it offers a wide variety of
nutrients, while allowing the dieter to enjoy peanut
butter, a satisfying ‘‘comfort’’ food.
The diet promotes weight loss, lower cholesterol,
reduced risk of heart disease, and diabetes for con-
sumers who stay on the meal plan. The eating plan
consists of two separate caloric intakes, one for men
(2,200 calories per day) and one for women (1,500
calories per day).
Some consumers have reported that the diet is
easier to follow than other popular diet plans. Because
peanut butter tastes good and is simple to add to daily
menus, dieters have no difficulty staying on the plan
and being consistent. In the year 2000, Kraft Foods
conducted a survey to determine which foods Ameri-
cans are regularly stocking and consuming. Out of 100
common food items, peanut butter came in fourth.Eggs, granulated sugar, and flour came in first, sec-
ond, and third place respectively.Origins
The roots of the peanut butter diet can be traced
to research that was conducted at Brigham and Wom-
en’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Nutrition
researchers Kathy McManus and Frank Sacks, M.D.
worked with overweight patients over several years.
During their meetings with patients, they discovered
that some overweight individuals were unsuccessful at
keeping weight off for any length of time when follow-
inglow-fat dietplans.
Later in their careers, McManus and Dr. Sacks
conducted research that compared the effects of calo-
rie-controlled moderate-fat and low-fat diets in obese
adults. The result of their research was surprising.
Their studies suggested that calorie-controlled diet
plans containing moderate amounts of fat, including
peanut butter, may be a factor in losing weight.
In their study, McManus and Dr. Sacks assigned
101 men and women whose average weight was 200
pounds, to one of two study groups. One group was
told to limit their fate intake to only 20% of their
calories. The individuals in the second group had a
daily fat allowance of 35%. The participants in the
35% group ate fat that came from foods that are rich
in monounsaturated fat. These foods include peanut
butter, olive oil, nuts, and avocados. Both study
groups limited their intake of foods that were high in
saturated fat such as cheese, butter, or red meats. In
addition, both study groups were given the same calo-
ric intake: women ate 1,200 calories and men ate 1,500
calories per day.
The study results were informative. Both groups
lost an average of 11 pounds during the first six weeks.
However, twice as many moderate-fat consumers
(Peanut butter dieters) were able to stay with the
diet, and were able to maintain their weight loss for a
period of 18 weeks. On the other hand, the low-fat
dieters had twice the amount of participants who
dropped out, and the remaining participants regained
about five pounds. McManus suggested that the Pea-
nut Butter Dieters were more successful because they
enjoyed their food choices more than the moderate-
fat group, and that individuals can stick to a diet
plan only if they feel satisfied by the foods they are
consuming.
Another study suggested that eating peanut butter
appeared to be almost twice as good for your heart
compared to low-fat diets. A study conducted by sci-
entists at Pennsylvania State University proved thatPeanut butter diet