We often hear from people that they get mental whiplash from the frequent reversals in health advice they see in the news. This is especially true when it comes to nutrition: first eggs were evil, and then they were touted as a good source of protein and choline. Is there room for butter in a good diet?
Which Is Better-Butter or Margarine?
The latest nutritional flip-flop is about butter. People who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s were told that margarine was much better than butter. It was later determined that the trans fats in margarine were terrible for health, increasing the risk of heart disease rather than preventing it.
Where does that leave butter? A new meta-analysis suggests we shouldn’t worry about butter (PLOS One, June 29, 2016). It certainly isn’t health food, but neither should it be demonized.
The nine studies the investigators analyzed included 636,151 participants and 6.5 million person-years of data. The analysis revealed “relatively small or neutral overall associations of butter with mortality, CVD [cardiovascular disease, ie heart attacks and heart failure], and diabetes.” The researchers suggest that policy-makers shouldn’t waste a lot of time trying to change the amount of butter people eat. There is room for butter in an otherwise healthful diet.
Readers Try an Experiment at Home:
Some readers have done their own nutritional experiments. Skipper writes:
“I took an anti-cholesterol medication for years without any change in my total cholesterol (220-230). I was using skim milk, margarine and other dietary restrictions to try to reduce my weight to 175 lbs.
“I finally gave up the medication on my own. The next test my total cholesterol still was at 220.
“I gave up the skim milk and went to whole milk and began to enjoy real butter. In three weeks I dropped 5 lbs.
“I now eat a primarily plant-based diet with seafood at least once a week and perhaps chicken or other fowl no more that once or twice a month. I eat mixed nuts as a snack (a small handful) daily. My new doctor says my high HDL means I don’t need to struggle to get the total down.
“In the past year and a half I have had more energy and have stabilized my weight to 155 to 160 lbs. I am now 78 years old and active and healthy.”
Mimi is another reader who has experimented with her diet:
“I have changed my diet this past year, eliminating most white carbs and sugars from my meals. As before, I still eat lots of fruit and veggies and only fish and poultry, but I have increased my intake of fats, including olive oil, small amounts of butter and other full-fat dairy. I also eat moderate amounts of fatty foods such as whole eggs, salmon, avocados and nuts.
“I find that I’m not hungry between meals and my craving for junk and large portions of starch has greatly diminished. I’m eating less and slowly losing weight without really trying and without counting calories.”
Full-Fat Dairy Products Have Health Benefits:
Such stories now make sense scientifically. Research has shown that full-fat dairy products may actually lower fat in the liver and improve insulin sensitivity (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June, 2014).
There is still some ambiguity about butter. Another recent publication utilizing data from more than 125,000 individuals over decades found that saturated fat consumption modestly increased the risk of premature death (JAMA Internal Medicine, online July 5, 2016). Trans fats such as those found in margarine were significantly worse, though. The Harvard-based authors call for the elimination of partially hydrogenated vegetables oils, which are the main source of trans fats in the American diet.
Many of the former food taboos from the nutrition establishment were based as much on beliefs as evidence. This new study should encourage the experts to pay attention to the latest scientific data.
