Oh the confusion over butter.  Once upon a time we were told butter was bad for us, so the food companies took out butter, replaced it with sugar and refined carbohydrates, and the obesity epidemic took off.  Whether there is a direct correlation between the two is up for debate but something certainly had an influence. 

Then in 2014 butter took center stage again when we were bombarded with an unexpected turn of events when it was found that eating less saturated fat, which butter is loaded with, didn’t actually lower a person’s risk for heart disease after all. 

Now, a new study funded by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reviewed more than nine studies which included 636,000 participants living in 15 countries. The verdict?  Butter is sort of back but don’t go break open a stick of butter or jump for joy just yet. 

The results suggest a relatively small or neutral overall association of butter with mortality, cardiovascular disease or diabetes.  In other words, using butter doesn’t appear to lead to a rise of death for chronic disease. 

To be perfectly clear, this does not give a green light to start loading up your baked potato or slathering your toast to the point of sogginess with butter.  Butter is a high-calorie, high-fat food offering little in the way of a nutritional boost for our health and should still be used only in small amounts.

The study did point out that the current recommendations on consuming more monounsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids while reducing foods containing saturated fat is still key for optimal health.  Choosing healthy fats and oils found in foods such as extra-virgin olive, canola, or flaxseed oils along with nuts and seeds are better choices than choosing butter or foods containing refined grains, starches, and sugars. 

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines states that a healthy intake of saturated fats should be limited to less than 10 percent of calories per day by replacing them with unsaturated fats.  We need fat in our diet but we must be wise about choosing healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and strictly limiting our intake of unhealthy fats (saturated). 

Another consideration from this study is that the health effect of any food could be modified by a person’s health background such as their diet, genetics, or risk factors for chronic diseases.  Individuals who regularly consume butter tend to have diets composed of more unhealthy food choices and unhealthy lifestyle habits.   

For now look upon butter as a sort of neutral food but only when used in small amounts.  A small amount used here and there won’t doom your dietary patterns but keep in mind one tablespoon of butter contains 102 calories, 11.5 grams of fat, with 7.3 grams coming from saturated fat.  A little butter spread sparingly on bread or a small dollop added to steamed vegetables may be fine.  It’s when we get carried away adding mounds of butter to everything that the effect can be harmful. 

In conclusion

For the good of our health, we should focus on emphasizing minimally processed, nutritious foods as close to what we find in nature.  A healthy eating pattern includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, poultry, and fish.  Exclude processed meat, French fries, sugary breakfast cereals, soda, white bread and white rice, donuts, and candy along with other unhealthy foods. 

Enjoy your food but be sensible about your food choices because your health and well-being depend on it. 

So for now, butter can be used in small amounts on occasion but don’t have it sitting out on the kitchen table – it’ll be too tempting to use.  Remember - moderation really is key and it appears moderate to very occasional use of butter is best.