My understanding is that nut butter without added salt, sugar or oils are generally regarded as a healthy source of fat, but is there a theoretical maximum intake after which it is no longer healthy / could be harmful? Assuming one is getting the correct number of calories and a balance of other macros, would it be harmful to get almost all of one’s dietary fat from nut butters?
Based off general nut guidelines, FDA recommends 1.5 ounces (~45g) daily. So that looks like a little under 3 tablespoons. Maximum amount though? Idk, i can’t find anything. Given how high in fat it is, you’ll probably just want to control total intake
Our bodies evolved to thrive on biodiversity rather than monoculture.
There are micronutrients, anti-oxidants, flavonoids, fiber that may get missed if you double down on nut butters as your sole source of fat.
You’re not going to be able to get an unhealthy amount of fat or sodium from Nut butters unless you are eating it by the fistful.
The problems are Calories, Micronutrients, and Additives.
If you are eating single ingredient / just salted Nut butters like Natural Peanut Butter, you don’t have to worry about additives. But if you are just buying stuff because it looks/tastes good, chances are it has a bunch of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives / enhancement ingredients, many of which are banned in the EU, Australia, Canada, etc.
As for micronutrients, nuts and the oils in nuts are very high in Omega 6 fatty acids. A healthy ratio of Omega 3 : Omega 6 intake is linked to a 70%+ decrease in likelihood of heart disease and other illnesses. You want a ratio of 1:2 to 1:4, and if you are eating more than 2-3 servings of nut butters per day, you are already probably adding an additional \~7 grams of Omega 6 to your diet that you’d have to eat fatty fish or algae supplements to counteract.
Finally, the calories. As long as you are an adult and capable of tracking your intake with an app like Cronometer, and you are honest with yourself and factor in some wiggle room for inaccuracies, you should be able to handle not eating enough peanut butter to put yourself in weight gain territory.
Would it be harmful?
There isn’t an easy way to tell that for certain unfortunately.
I wouldn’t recommend looking for the maximum you can eat. If you just enjoy eating it, eat a well balanced diet and eat some each day as a treat.
I would certainly not suggest it as your sole source of fats simply because of the omega 3-6 ratio.
Have a couple servings a day. Make sure you get other fat sources too.