Folate Content in Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is not a significant source of folate and should not be relied upon to meet daily folate requirements.
Nutritional Context of Peanut Butter
Based on the USDA Commodity Peanut Butter database referenced in clinical guidelines, peanut butter contains minimal folate content 1. While these guidelines provide detailed protein content data for peanut butter (approximately 0.22g protein per gram of peanut butter), they do not list peanut butter as a folate source 1.
Volume Conversion
- 15 ml of peanut butter equals approximately 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) 1
- This volume corresponds to approximately 16 grams of peanut butter by weight 1
Folate-Rich Food Sources vs. Peanut Butter
The richest dietary sources of folate are pulses (beans, lentils), leafy green vegetables, eggs, nuts, and whole grain products—not peanut butter 2. Specifically:
- Rich sources (100-350 μg/100g): Eggs, spinach, soybeans, strawberries 3
- Good sources (56-83 μg/100g): Broccoli, lentils, potatoes 3
- Moderate sources (15-30 μg/100g): White bread, onions, beef liver 3
Peanut butter does not appear in any of these categories in the analyzed literature 3, 4.
Daily Folate Requirements
For context on why peanut butter is inadequate as a folate source 5, 2:
- General population: 250-400 μg DFE (dietary folate equivalents) per day 5, 2
- Pregnant/lactating women: 500-600 μg DFE per day (approximately twice the general requirement) 5, 2
- Women of childbearing age: 400 μg (0.4 mg) daily for neural tube defect prevention 1, 6
Practical Recommendation
To meet daily folate needs, consume 200-300g of pulses or 400g of leafy green vegetables, fortified breakfast cereals, or consider folic acid supplementation rather than relying on peanut butter 1, 2. Food folates have lower bioavailability than synthetic folic acid (1 μg food folate = 0.6 μg folic acid from fortified foods) 1, 2.