Is butter bad for you?
Although butter substitutes such as margarine have been around for a long time, many of them became popular during the fat-free boom of the 80s and 90s. The message to consumers was clear. fat is the enemy.
Consider the iconic series of spray butter ads from the 90s featuring Italian-American actor and model Fabio Lanzoni. In a fantasy world with soft light, a young woman laments (or a dreamdepending on which commercial you are watching) Bad effects of butter. When you see Lanzoni, the long-haired giant wielding a spray bottle of margarine, you’ll say, “I can’t believe it’s not butter!”
What is the healthiest butter?
Butter is a perfect fit for a healthy diet, says registered dietitian Abby SharpAnd grass-fed butter is the healthiest butter money can buy.
Before we discuss the health benefits of this type of butter, let’s analyze the fat content in whole butter. Butter is mostly saturated fat, but it also contains a percentage of monounsaturated fat.Saturated fat has historically been demonized as unhealthy, but research shows no important links Between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease.
However, unsaturated fats are being touted as a healthier option. Unsaturated fats are heart-healthy and increase high-density lipoproteins, or “good” cholesterol.
Butter also contains short-chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid, which are beneficial for gut health and potentially weight management, Sharp said.it has conjugated linoleic acid, A fatty acid with anti-cancer and anti-obesity effects.
Butter made from grass-fed cows gives you even more of these benefits.
“Because cows are fed grass instead of corn, the feed itself is higher in content. Vitamin K2 In fact, grasses are high in short-chain fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids,” Sharpe said, adding that corn and grain diets typically have high percentages of omega-6 fatty acids.
Grocery store butter aisles are lined with “light” butters touted as healthier than regular butter, but Sharp says it’s not that simple. Light butter is actually just regular butter that has been frothed with air or water to maintain its shape.
“The only reason it’s low in calories and fat is because it’s diluted with water,” says Sharp. “For example, it might work on toast, but if you use it to cook, you’ll need to add oil anyway.”
And while grass-fed butter is the healthiest option to keep in the refrigerator, Sharp says the best way to incorporate butter and oils into your daily diet is to get them varied and balanced.
“Various fats, such as butter, olive oil, and avocado oil, all have their own fatty acid profiles, and each of those fatty acids has its own benefits,” Sharp says. “So we don’t want to focus too much on one thing. Ideally, we want to have as much variety as possible.”
For example, Mr. Sharp says he might wake up in the morning and make breakfast with a mixture of butter and avocado or olive oil. Butter has a low smoke point, so it doesn’t need to be cooked at high temperatures, but you don’t want to miss out on its nutritional benefits. Later in the day, you might use high-quality flaxseed oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, in your salads. Later as a dessert she bakes it using coconut oil. I like it because it adds flavor.
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Is butter bad for you?
No, butter isn’t bad for you, but butter substitutes are certainly bad for you. tried to advertise butter as unhealthy for decades.
“This comes from a time when we were taught to be afraid of saturated fat and fat in general. It was all about saturated fat being unhealthy, so margarine was popular. I did,” Sharp says.
saturated fat is not a direct cause of heart disease It can reduce mortality and can be safely incorporated into the diet, according to a 2022 study published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology.
“Of course, we know that replacing saturated fats with fiber-rich foods and polyunsaturated fats is advantageous, but we are not going to replace them with highly processed carbohydrates as we have been taught.” Sharp says.
If you’re concerned about your sodium intake, try buying unsalted butter to help control your intake.
“Salted butter was something people bought as a convenience,” says Sharp. “In general, I think it’s a good idea to buy unsalted products and add salt and seasonings later.”
margarine vs butter
According to Sharp, margarine is a lasting effect of a dietary culture of fear of fat. Even if it’s really “I can’t believe it’s not butter,” it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy for you.
“Many original stick margarines contain trans fat because when we made the margarine, we also made trans fat,” says Sharp. “That said, most margarines today use a different technology to produce unsaturated fats, so it’s not much of a concern.”
Trans fats usually exist in the form of partially hydrogenated oils and are known to: increase the risk of heart diseasestroke, type 2 diabetes.
There’s nothing wrong with margarine without partially hydrogenated oils, but it lacks certain beneficial fatty acids found in regular butter. butyric acid and myristic acid. However, margarine has less saturated fat than butter.
“If your doctor wants you to reduce your reliance on saturated fat, margarine can be a great option,” says Sharp. “But they are rich in omega-6s, and most people still consume a lot of them.”
Omega-6s are imbalanced compared to omega-3 fatty acids and can cause inflammation if taken in excess. According to Sharp, the North American diet is skewed toward more omega-6s found in highly processed foods, and we don’t need more omega-6s already.
The same goes for plant-based or vegan butter spreads. These are often made in the same way as margarine by combining water and oil. If you buy a butter substitute, check the back of the package for the type of oil used.
Plant-based butters made from avocado or olive oil are healthier options, but be aware that many companies advertise these. “Made with Olive Oil” Spread containing a little olive oil And mostly canola oil, vegetable oil, or safflower oil.
“It’s a bit of a marketing ploy,” Sharp says. “If you don’t mind cooking with a lot of canola or palm oil, you probably want to avoid them.”
