New research questions a popular social media trend that favours butter over seed oils for health.
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that higher butter consumption was linked to a 15 per cent increased risk of death.
In contrast, plant-based oils including soybean, canola and olive oil were associated with a 16 per cent reduction in mortality.
Substituting just 10 grams of butter daily with these plant oils could reduce death risk by 17 per cent.
Vegetable oils may be more beneficial than butter
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The study analysed 33 years of dietary data from more than 221,000 participants across three health studies.
Participants reported their dietary habits every four years, allowing researchers to track changes over time.
Butter intake included amounts used in cooking, baking, and spread on food.
Plant-based oil consumption was estimated based on oil types used in frying, sautéing, baking and salad dressings.
Researchers adjusted findings for variables including age, BMI, smoking status and total calorie intake.
Dr Paul Saladino, who has 2.6 million Instagram followers, stated: “Butter is a health food with amazing nutrients.”
Study co-author Walter Willett from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health disagrees, with his research showing the opposite effect.
“Seventeen per cent is quite a big change, especially when you look at the public health perspective,” said Dr Yu Zhang, the study’s co-author. “Imagine how many deaths we can reduce in the general population.”
The findings add to a large body of scientific literature on the benefits of plant oils
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The research specifically found that substituting just 10 grams of butter with plant-based oils daily was associated with a 17 per cent lower risk of both total mortality and cancer-related deaths. This small amount equals roughly two teaspoons of butter.
Dr Marion Nestle from New York University noted the study is correlational, showing association rather than causation.
“Even so, it’s consistent with decades of evidence linking saturated fat to health risks and demonstrating quite substantial health benefits of substituting plant oils for animal fats,” she said.
Dr Dariush Mozaffarian from Tufts University added: “These findings add to a large body of scientific literature on the health benefits of these plant oils.”
