People often ask “what is the healthiest nut butter?” The answer is almond butter. Almond butter is prepared from almond nuts and it is considered the best nut butter because it can provide numerous health benefits because of its high nutrient values.
Now, what is almond butter? Well, almond butter is a nut butter that is prepared from raw organic almond nuts. Organic almond butter does not contain any additional ingredients which makes it highly nutritious nut butter.
In fact, almond butter is a rich source of both macronutrients and micronutrients. It is a great source of fiber, protein, unsaturated fatty acid, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, and vitamin E.
All of these nutrients play an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, surplus consumption of almond butter is not a healthy option. It may cause some health disorders like obesity, constipation, allergy, etc.
In this article, we will discover the major health benefits of almond butter with side effects.
Almond Butter Benefits Diabetes
Almond butter is packed with nutrients like dietary fiber and potassium. Both dietary fiber and potassium play an important role to prevent or reduce the risk of diabetes.
According to studies, dietary fiber can prevent type 2 diabetes and it is able to reduce the HbA1c percentage for type 2 diabetics (1). It can also decrease fasting blood glucose concentration.
On the other hand, almond butter is considered one of the highest potassium foods. The potassium benefits over diabetes are also proven by scientific studies. Studies have shown that increasing potassium intake may prevent the development of diabetes (2).
Almond Butter Heart Health Benefits
Almond butter is a rich source of heart-friendly monounsaturated fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and/or high-quality carbohydrates are able to replace saturated fats to reduce coronary heart disease(CHD) risk (3).
As almond butter contains both polyunsaturated fatty acids and high-quality carbs, it is considered a heart-friendly nut butter. Moreover, dietary intake of unsaturated fat is able to increase HDL metabolic pathways involving apoE favorable to reverse cholesterol transport (4).
It is another heart benefit of almond butter. Furthermore, almond butter is also a great source of dietary fiber and magnesium. Both dietary fiber and magnesium are able to reduce the risk of Cardiovascular Diseases (5, 6).
Because of these wide ranges of cardiovascular benefits, almond butter is one of the most popular nut butter among heart patients.
Almond Butter Benefits For Weight Loss
Almonds are considered among the best nuts for weight loss because of their high fiber and protein content. As almond butter is prepared from organic almonds without any impurities, this nut butter is beneficial for losing weight.
The high dietary fiber and protein density of almond butter makes it one of the most common ingredients of best meal replacement shakes for weight loss. But what is the relationship between fiber, protein, and weight control?
Well, according to studies, dietary fiber intake, is associated with weight loss. In fact, it is not dependent on macronutrient and calorie consumption (7). Regular consumption of high fiber foods can promote weight loss in overweight or obese people.
On the other hand, another study has shown that a high-protein diet can promote 3.8 kg of weight loss within just six months (8).
Furthermore, the presence of high calcium in almond butter may also aid in weight control. As calcium may have a beneficial effect on obesity through weight management (9).
Benefits Of Almond Butter Magnesium
Almond butter is a great source of magnesium. The magnesium-rich almond butter provides several health benefits. Magnesium is an important mineral required for the biochemical functioning of numerous metabolic pathways.
It also acts as a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions. Consumption of high magnesium foods is beneficial for the following health disorders (10)
- Migraine headache
- Metabolic syndrome
- Diabetes
- Hyperlipidemia
- Asthma
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Preeclampsia
- Cardiac arrhythmias
Almond Butter Gut Health
Almond butter is probably the best nut butter to maintain a healthy gut. It is a good source of dietary fiber and magnesium. Both dietary fiber and magnesium help to get rid of constipation problems.
In fact, the majority of constipation relief at home remedies contain almond butter. Moreover, the prebiotic fiber and polyphenol components of almond butter may have beneficial effects on the gut microbiota.
Furthermore, almond butter contains Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Studies have shown that Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can reduce various Helicobacter pylori- (H. pylori-) associated gastric diseases (11).
Almond Butter Benefits For Skin
Almond butter contains almost every essential vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant which are associated with healthy skin development. It is a great source of skin-friendly nutrients like niacin, copper, iron, calcium, vitamin E, and B2.
All of these nutrients play an important role in maintaining healthy skin. These nutrients can provide the following health benefits to the skin:
- Wrinkle reduction
- Prevention of UV Ray damage
- Skin cancer prevention
- Maintaining skin moisture, and reducing itching, and dry skin
- Skin wound healing and barrier formation
Almond Butter Side Effects
Although almond butter is a healthy nut butter it can cause some health disorders also. The most common side-effect arises from a nut allergy. Several people are allergic to nuts like almonds.
In that case, they may get affected with nut allergy symptoms like coughing, nausea, vomiting, itching, and breathing problem after consumption of nut butter.
On the other hand, surplus consumption of almond butter can cause a nutrient imbalance in the body which may promote health problems like:
- Weight gain or obesity
- Constipation and back pain
- Gas and bloating
- Diarrhea or watery stool
- Stomach pain
- Kidney stones
That’s why maintaining the intake of almond butter is essential. So, can you eat almond butter every day? Yes, people can consume almond butter every day and achieve almost every health benefit if they maintain the intake.
However, if you are allergic to almond butter, it is better to avoid them.
Can You Gain Weight From Almond Butter?
Almond butter is high in calories and fat. Surplus consumption of almond butter can cause weight gain by promoting both fat and caloric imbalance. That’s why too much consumption of almond butter is not a wise idea.
In long run, it can cause calorie and fat overload in the human body. The excess storage of calories and fat promotes rapid weight gain.
Is Almond Butter Healthier Than Peanut Butter?
Yes, almond butter is healthier than peanut butter because it contains less saturated fat compared to peanut butter. Saturated fat is not beneficial for the human body. It can create health troubles like heart problems, constipation, weight gain, etc.
As almond butter contains less saturated fat compared to peanut butter it can help you to reduce the risk of these diseases. Moreover, almond butter contains a high amount of several other essential nutrients than peanut butter which is another added benefit.
Final Thoughts
Almond butter is a healthy spread prepared from organic almonds. This nut butter is a powerhouse of essential nutrients like protein, fiber, fat, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Because of these nutrients, almond butter is probably the most healthy nut butter. Nutrient-dense almond butter is able to provide several health benefits over heart function, obesity, constipation, skin disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
However, too much consumption of almond butter can cause some adverse health effects like sudden weight gain, gut problems, and kidney diseases.
