There are many different types of butters and each offer different health benefits. Understanding the health differences between the more popular variants can lead to healthier choices or illuminate new options.
Almond Butter As you may have guessed, almond butter is a type of butter created by turning almonds into a paste. One health benefit of almond butter which trumps that of the standard peanut butter is that almond butter has no added salts. However, almond butter has far more health benefits than merely a lack of salt to offer. Not only does one tablespoon of almond butter have the same amount of protein as one serving of meat, but it also offers the health benefits of 4% of the recommended daily intake for calcium, zinc, iron, folate; 6% of riboflavin; 8% for copper; 10% for magnesium, other B vitamins and 1 gram of fiber. Remember, that’s the health benefits found in only one tablespoon. Most people, especially butter enthusiasts or frequent consumers of breads, will easily double or triple this serving, and by so doing, double or triple the health benefits.
Apple Butter Organic apple butter is a considerably healthy addition to any diet because it may have as little as 20 calories, whereas peanut, almond, and cashew butter may have upwards of 200 calories per serving. Furthermore, obviously apple butter will have a lower level of salt than peanut or cashew butter because people generally do not attempt to make fruits salty. However, because apple butter does not contain nuts, the health benefits found in the previously mentioned butters, such as high levels of protein, will not be found. Apple butter is, however, superior to peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter in terms of fat content and has insoluble fibers which assist in keeping a clean colon and clear digestive tract. Apple butter is the perfect butter if you can’t risk the fat or salt content of the other butters and you need a spread for your toast without risking the health value of your diet
Cashew Butter Another alternative to the standard peanut butter is cashew butter, a butter which generally has half the calories of almond butter but still offers nutrients for a healthy body. Even though cashew butter offers less protein than peanut butter, one serving of cashew butter still offers over 10% of the recommended daily value of protein for a healthy diet within people below 50-years-old, doubles the amount of iron and copper found in peanut butter, and splits the amount of sugar in half. Furthermore, cashew butter is a worthwhile addition to a healthy diet because it offers 13% of the recommended daily intake of potassium, a vitamin which regulates blood coagulation and metabolism, for women and 9% for men in just one serving.
