The higher the intake of butter, the higher the risk of premature death. This is the conclusion of a study that compiled data from 220,000 adults in the USA. On the other hand, the researchers found that a higher intake of plant-based oils such as rapeseed and olive oil led to a reduced risk of premature death.
The reduced risk of premature death was seen among those who used soy or rapeseed and olive oil. However, no association was found for corn and safflower oil. Above all, it was mortality from cardiovascular disease that increased with high butter intake, but also mortality from cancer.
The myth about butter
Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Harvard and one of the researchers behind the study, tells CNN that the results contradict certain trends on social media about butter being the most healthy fat alternative.
For some unclear reason, myths are spreading on the internet that butter is a healthy form of fat, but there is no evidence to support it, he says.
According to the study, published in Jama Internal Medicine, an additional 10 grams of butter per day is linked to a 7 percent higher risk of mortality. Replacing butter with plant-based oils was linked to a 17 percent lower risk of premature death.
The participants were followed for up to 33 years, and the researchers took into account factors such as their age, BMI, smoking, and total calorie intake, which affect health.
Replace
Since it is an observational study, it is not possible to conclude that it is the butter or the oils that are behind the differences in mortality, but the researchers' conclusion is that the association is clear.
They write that you do not need to exclude butter entirely, but that it is beneficial for health to replace part of the intake with, for example, olive or rapeseed oil.
Soy, rapeseed, and olive oil contain a high proportion of unsaturated fats, such as omega-3 and omega-6. Butter contains more saturated fats.
Petra Hedbom/TT
Facts: Fats
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Polyunsaturated fat:
Omega-3 and omega-6 are examples of polyunsaturated fats.
Omega-3 is found, for example, in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines, certain algae, rapeseed oil, and margarines made from rapeseed oil.
Omega-6 fat is found, for example, in corn oil, sunflower oil, soy, sesame seeds, and sesame oil, rapeseed oil.
Monounsaturated fat:
It is found in many different foods. Sometimes together with saturated fat and sometimes together with polyunsaturated fat.
A lot of monounsaturated fat is found, for example, in: olive oil and olives, rapeseed oil and margarines made from rapeseed oil, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, avocados.
Saturated fat:
It is not good for health if a large part of the fat we eat comes from saturated fat. Saturated fat is found in animal products and some vegetable oils, for example: cream, chocolate, fatty milk and curd, butter and margarine blends based on butter, cheese, coconut fat, and palm oil. It is also found in meat and charcuterie products such as sausage and bacon.
Research clearly shows that the risk of cardiovascular disease decreases if you replace part of the saturated fat in food with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat from vegetable products.
Source: National Food Agency
