New Study Suggests Butter is Not Linked to Chronic Diseases

The study, released on PLOS Journals, challenges the belief that regular consumption of butter is directly related to chronic health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

The findings were based on nine studies, which collected information about rates of death, heart diseases and Type 2 diabetes of over 630,000 adults averagely aged between 44 and 71 years old. Overall, the study tracked a combined 6.5 million years.

 

Butter consumption was standardized across all nine studies to 14 grams/day, roughly one tablespoon, corresponding to a U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated serving of butter. Overall, the average butter consumption across the nine studies ranged from roughly one-third of a serving per day to 3.2 servings per day. The study found mostly small or insignificant associations of each daily serving of butter with total mortality, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

 

However, the researchers add that butter alternatives, such as olive oil and olive and sunflower spreads still appear to be healthier choices.

 

Despite the findings, health organizations and charities are still reluctant to give the go ahead on butter consumption.

 

Tracy Parker, Heart Health Dietician at the British Heart Foundation, told NutritionInsight: “Understanding the true relationship between diet and our health is difficult, but we know that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats seems to have a positive impact on our heart health and this is recognized by the authors of this study.”

 

Parker adds, “Whilst the findings of this review indicate a small or neutral association between butter consumption and increased cardiovascular risk, it does not give us the green light to start eating more butter. More investigations are needed into the effects of saturated fat.”

 

Natasha Marsland, Senior Clinical Advisor from Diabetes UK also commented on the recent findings, “We recommend people limit their intake of butter and replace it with healthier fats such as sunflower or olive oil spreads.”

She explains: “From 2000-2015, Diabetes UK and the British Dietetic Association carried out a comprehensive review into our fat intake, and concluded that eating too much saturated fat, such as butter, is not good for our heart health.”

 

UK heath guidelines continue to advice against the over consumption of butter in accordance to it’s guidelines on saturated fat, stating that the average man should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat, and the average women, no more than 20g.

 

However, this new study along with others recently conducted, continue to challenge the idea that consumption of saturated fat is seriously detrimental to public health.