7 Science-Backed Benefits of Almond Butter

Ever grabbed a handful of almonds and suddenly felt unstoppable? There’s a reason for that. Almonds, and by extension almond butter, are a nutritional powerhouse.

These mighty nuts are packed with science-backed benefits that can take your fitness game, mental performance, and overall health to the next level.

Though some may question whether keto and almond butter make a good match, it's one of the best nut butters to have in your corner. Let’s explore why.

What is the Best Almond Butter for Keto Diets?

Almond butter is made by grinding almonds into a paste. It comes in “smooth” or “crunchy” textures and is a popular alternative for people with peanut allergies.

The best almond butter contains only almonds. Pretty obvious, right?

However, most commercial almond butter includes ingredients that are anything but keto-friendly, such as:

• Added sugar. Cane sugar, corn syrup, honey, molasses, agave nectar, maple syrup, artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols — you name it, you avoid it.
• Added oil. Inflammatory oils like palm oil, canola, soybean, or partially/hydrogenated vegetable oils are often added to make almond butter easier to spread (even though the natural fat in almonds makes them unnecessary).
• Fillers, emulsifiers, and preservatives. These bulk, prevent separation, and extend shelf life, but provide zero nutritional value.

Again, healthy almond butter brands use just almonds. So after you scope out the ingredients, check out the:

Almond Butter Nutrition Facts

Compared to other nuts, a serving of almonds provides some of the highest amounts of fiber, protein, monounsaturated fat, essential minerals (magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium), vitamin E, and bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties. They’re also among the lowest in calories and carbohydrates.[*]

A serving of almond butter is typically two tablespoons (32 grams). That’s worth:

• 190 calories
• 17 grams of total fat
• 7 grams of total carbs
• 3 grams of fiber
• 2 grams of natural sugar from the almonds
• 7 grams of protein

Don’t let those carbs scare you off. 🫣 Do the math, and the (rounded off) macro ratios of a serving of almond butter come out to approximately 73% fat, 13% carbs, and 13% protein. The ratios are even better if you’re counting net carbs: 80% fat, 14% protein, and 8% carbs.

That overwhelming surplus of healthy fats is worth making room for.

So now that we know exactly what’s in almond butter, let’s dive into:

7 Science-Backed Almond Butter Benefits

Almonds are one of the most well-researched foods, with more than 175 studies to their name.[*] However, the health benefits of almond butter have been researched less. 

Since almond butter should just contain almonds, the nutritional benefits of almond butter should be similar (if not identical).

So, with that caveat out of the way, the benefits of eating almond butter on a keto diet include:

1. Higher Energy Levels 🔥

Keto is all about embracing more dietary fat (not less). Fat becomes your primary energy source, and the healthy fats in almond butter fit the bill perfectly.[*]

When you ditch the sugary energy drinks and rely on fats like almond butter for energy, you’ll score long-lasting fuel to power through intense gym sessions, grueling hikes, and demanding work days — without the debilitating crash later.

2. Weight Loss + Weight Management Support ⚖️

Can almond butter help you lose weight? 💯 Science shows that using almonds and almond butter for weight loss or weight management goals is a no-brainer.

Though researchers say almonds are a higher-calorie food, they actually act like a lower-calorie food when consumed.[*]

Meta-analyses of 100+ studies have linked almond consumption to:[*][*][*][*]

• Increased satiety and appetite suppression
• Lower daily calorie intake (without even trying!)
• Reduced food cravings
• Better blood sugar control
• Higher metabolisms and greater calorie-burning
• Lower waist circumference and BMI
• Significant drops in belly fat, dangerous visceral fat, overall body mass, and fat mass

All these perks give anyone looking to shed some LBs or maintain a healthy weight a valuable leg up.

😋  Dig deeper into The Science of Satiety: How To Ditch the Hangry Cravings.

3. Better Heart Health ❤️

The monounsaturated fats in almond butter vastly outweigh its polyunsaturated fats, which is stellar news for your ticker. 

These fatty champs improve cholesterol profiles, lower blood pressure, prevent strokes and heart attacks, and slash your risk of cardiovascular disease (the #1 cause of death worldwide).[*][*][*]

4. Improved Gut Health 🦠

Gut health plays a critical role in overall well-being. A happy gut means optimal digestion, stronger immunity, better mental health, and more.[*] So, where does science stand on almond butter for gut health?

The fiber in almond butter (from almonds and their skins) is considered a prebiotic food, so it feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Noshing more prebiotics leads to a healthier gut microbiome, where a range of diverse, beneficial bacteria flourish, and harmful pathogens get kicked to the curb.[*][*]

5. Elevated Athletic Performance + Recovery 💪

Almonds may give you the endurance to crush your personal bests and push your body to new limits.[*] But they’re even more valuable for your post-workout recovery.

According to studies, almonds provide a generous supply of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and inflammation-fighting antioxidants that may relieve delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after your savage sweat sessions.[*]

Less inflammation and soreness means better muscle function and faster recovery, so you can do it all again the next day.[*][*]

6. Supercharged Brain Health 🚀

Almonds and almond butter are natural brain boosters, empowering you to stay sharp and focused no matter what the day throws your way.

Studies on almonds and almond butter for brain health reveal that:

• Snacking on almonds at midday can reduce post-lunch dips in memory.[*]
• A long-term almond habit may improve learning, working memory, and how your brain processes and uses visual information.[*]
• Almonds help increase heart rate variability (HRV) during mental stress. Higher HRVs mean your body can adapt more effectively to tension, stress, and anxiety to better cope with life’s pressures.[*]

You can thank vitamin E for these wins! There’s more vitamin E in almond butter (and almonds) than any other nut — with 1 ounce delivering almost 50% of your recommended daily intake.[*]

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects brain cells from inflammation and oxidative stress caused by free radical damage.[*] Our brains are highly susceptible to this destruction, which only increases as we celebrate more birthdays and is considered a major culprit behind tanking brainpower.[*]

Unfortunately, over 90% of Americans don’t hit their daily vitamin E goal, which increases the risk of mental decline and dementia.[*][*]

TL;DR: You want more vitamin E in your diet. It leads to better cognitive function and mental performance and may even prevent or delay dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.[*][*][*] Almonds and almond butter make this goal easy to reach.

🧠 Psst! You can also unlock peak mental performance with nootropics!

7. The Key To Longevity 🔑

Now let’s put all the pieces together to answer the ultimate question: Is almond butter good for you?

Researchers overwhelmingly agree that consuming nuts — especially almonds and almond butter — is an investment in a long, healthy life.

First, people who eat more almonds tend to have healthier overall diets than those who don’t, which is always a triumph.[*]

Second, eating almonds has been shown to decrease oxidative stress and harmful inflammation.[*] Turns out, vitamin E's ability to fight free radical damage also means it combats cell aging, cancer development, and other chronic health conditions.[*]

These perks may explain why almond eaters have lower risks of heart disease, cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and death from cardiovascular disease, stroke, infection, respiratory diseases, and all-cause mortality.[*][*]

It's also why scientists say “almonds are a premier healthy snack for precision nutrition diet plans.” [*] We totally agree! 🙌

Get Your Almond Butter Fix with the Toasted Almond Coconut Keto Brick 🧱

Keto Bricks are performance bars scientifically proven to raise ketone levels and promote fat burning.[*]

With the perfect keto macros, our Toasted Almond Coconut Keto Brick specifically harnesses the powerful benefits of almond butter and:

• Complete plant protein power to ensure you get all the essential amino acids your body needs for muscle repair and growth.
• Raw, organic cacao butter — nature’s #1 source of fat-torching stearic acid!
• Toasted coconut chips and organic shredded coconut — natural sources of MCTs to skyrocket ketone production and energy levels.
• Delicious, craveable, clean-label ingredients.

Our shelf-stable performance bars are ready when you are. Take them wherever your adventures take you, or use them to add more healthy fats to your meals and keep your fat-burning furnace fired up in ketosis!

Power Your Body With Only the Best 

Almond butter is a nutritional powerhouse that goes way beyond being a tasty spread. Its science-backed benefits make it an ideal fit for anyone chasing peak performance, embracing a keto lifestyle, or simply prioritizing overall health and well-being.

Remember, you were born to explore, conquer, and achieve. Your body deserves apex performance nutrition that keeps you going strong, mile after mile, challenge after challenge. Fuel your journey with Keto Bricks! 🧱