Can butter help optimize hormones?

Butter, particularly when it contains saturated fats, could play a role in hormone optimization due to its cholesterol content, which is a precursor to hormones like testosterone and estrogen. Andrew Huberman has discussed that ingesting saturated fats, like those found in butter, could potentially be useful because cholesterol helps synthesize these essential hormones. However, he also indicates that while some dietary cholesterol might be beneficial, and he personally consumes butter, it is not necessarily needed in excess given the typical Western diet provides sufficient cholesterol 1.

Moreover, excessive consumption of butter or other high-fat foods might adversely affect the balance of hormones like estrogen and testosterone by altering the activity of enzymes like aromatase, which converts testosterone into estrogen 1. Therefore, while moderate consumption of butter might assist in maintaining necessary cholesterol levels for hormone synthesis, overconsumption could disrupt hormonal balance.