When it comes to nut butter, most of us have grown accustomed to the good old peanut butter. It’s easy to find online or in stores. Then, there’s almond butter, which isn’t exactly a new invention. It has been around for quite some time, but hiding behind the shadows of more popular peanut butter. The reason? Among them has to do with the almond butter’s above-average price tag compared to with peanut butter. However, you can get plenty of health benefits from choosing almond butter as part of your daily diet. Below are 8 of them!
1) Improves Your Heart Health
Almond butter contains a high amount of monounsaturated fats — a healthy fat that minimises the “bad” cholesterol a.k.a. LDL and raises the “good” one otherwise known as HDL. The monounsaturated fats found in a jar of almond butter are also able to lower the risk of heart disease. It has other related nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E — all of which are essential to promote a healthy heart. According to Healthline, 2 tablespoons of almond butter contains approximately 25% more monounsaturated fats than the similar amount of peanut butter!
2) Boost Your Brain Health
What do foods like oily fish, dark chocolate and nuts have in common? All three of them happen to qualify as food that promote our brain health. But let’s talk about the latter or more specifically, the almond nuts which contain among the highest amounts of vitamin E. The very key nutrient that helps to reduce the risk of cognitive destruction. Almond butter may even minimise the impact of Alzheimer’s disease. The omega-3 fatty acids along with the high antioxidants level also help to slow down age-related brain decline as well as minimising inflammation.
3) It Contains A High Source Of Fibre
Compared to peanut butter, almond butter ranks higher in term of its fibre content. Just 1 tablespoon of this nutty spread alone packs 1.6 g of fibre. Peanut butter, in the meantime, contains 0.9 g of fibre. The fibre in almond butter helps to make you feel full faster, which in turn, lowers your cholesterol level while maintaining a healthy weight.
4) Promote Gut Health
Foods that promote good gut health aren’t just restricted to the likes of yoghurt, olive oil, kimchi and ginger. You can add almond butter to the list, given its excellent probiotic properties. It benefits your digestive system with healthy bacteria in the long run.
5) Promote Healthy Bones
Get this: a mere 1 tablespoon of almond butter contains roughly 50 mg of calcium and 45 mg of magnesium. For the latter, the magnesium content found in almond butter is higher than the same amount of peanut butter at 26 mg. Magnesium is, of course, beneficial for our bone health as well as supporting our body’s metabolism and stabilises the blood sugar levels.
6) It May Help You Lose Weight
Looking to shed some weight? Try almond butter since it contains high protein content, which in turn, helps to suppress your appetite. As mentioned earlier in point no. 3, almond butter has an excellent amount of fibre to keep you fuller for longer. So, try having some almond butter for breakfast or as a post-workout snack. Of course, keep in mind that not every almond butter is created the same. If possible, get the plain almond butter with no added salt and sugar.
7) Good For Building Lean Muscle Mass
Other than promoting weight loss, almond butter is also beneficial for those who want to build lean muscle mass. This is particularly evident, given the almond butter’s rich sources of protein, healthy fats, vitamin E and fibre. Not to mention the antioxidants level help to promote speedy post-workout recovery as well. Also, it’s more convenient to eat almond butter than snacking on raw almonds.
8) It Has Excellent Source Of Iron
Our bodies need sufficient iron to function well. If we suffer from iron deficiency, it can result in multiple conditions like poor concentration, extreme fatigue as well as pale skin, shortness of breath and damaged hair. Almond butter happens to contain a high source of iron, which helps to promote red blood cell productions that carry oxygen around our bodies. One tablespoon of almond butter alone packs 0.6 mg of iron or equivalent to roughly around 8% and 3% of the daily iron requirements for men and women respectively.
