A new long-term study conducted by Harvard University revealed a link between high butter consumption and increased mortality risk, including deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease. The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests that replacing butter with plant-based oils such as olive oil, canola oil, and soybean oil may confer health benefits and reduce the risk of premature death.
The study analyzed the dietary habits of over 221,000 participants over 33 years. During the study period, 50,932 deaths were documented, including 12,241 due to cancer and 11,240 due to cardiovascular disease. The researchers investigated the associations of butter and plant-based oil intakes with the risk of total and cause-specific mortality among US adults.
The findings indicated that individuals who consumed more butter had a 15% greater risk of death compared to those who consumed less butter. In contrast, those who primarily used vegetable oils had a 16% lower risk of death compared to those who mainly consumed butter. Replacing just 10 grams of butter a day (less than a tablespoon) with equivalent calories of plant-based oils could lower cancer deaths and overall mortality by 17%.
"Even cutting back butter a little and incorporating more plant-based oils into your daily diet can have meaningful long-term health benefits," said Daniel Wang, one of the researchers involved in the study, according to a report by SciTechDaily.
The study also found that not all plant-based oils provide the same health benefits. Olive oil, canola oil, and soybean oil were found to be beneficial in reducing mortality risk, while corn oil and safflower oil did not show an association with reduced mortality.
Moreover, plant-based oils are rich in unsaturated fats, which are associated with a lower risk of heart diseases. These oils contain more unsaturated fatty acids, which can support the cardiovascular system and have anti-inflammatory effects. In contrast, butter is high in saturated fats, which can increase the risk of heart disease, raise levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL), and have been linked to increased inflammation.
"Our findings do not mean that we should never consume butter, but it is better to use it only when its flavor is indispensable, and not as the main source of fat," said Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, according to a report by Focus Online.
The study suggests that substituting butter with plant-based oils may confer benefits for preventing premature deaths, with a 19% reduction in mortality risk when substituting butter with olive oil. "The scale of the association we discovered is surprising. When we modeled the replacement of butter with vegetable oils in the daily diet, we observed a 17% lower risk of death. It's really a huge impact on health," said Yu Zhang, the lead author of the study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Dietitian Stephanie Schiff emphasized the health risks associated with butter consumption. "Butter demonstrably increases cholesterol levels in the body, which can clog the arteries and increase the risk of heart diseases," she said, according to a report by Bild. Schiff recommends using olive oil for salad dressing, sautéing foods, and baking, stating that these oils contain components that act as antioxidants and help prevent cell damage and reduce chronic disease risk.
The study provides further evidence supporting dietary guidelines that recommend limiting saturated fats and replacing them with unsaturated fats found in plant-based oils. Every 10-gram per day increment in plant-based oils intake was associated with an 11% lower risk of cancer mortality and a 6% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.
Some experts urge caution in interpreting the study's findings. Independent experts have critically evaluated the study, noting that observational studies on dietary questions generally have high error rates, especially when based on participants' self-reports. They also point out that differences in education and income are much more decisive for life expectancy and disease risks than the choice of spreadable fat in the kitchen.
Despite these criticisms, the study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that plant-based oils are healthier alternatives to butter. Olive oil, the central component of the Mediterranean diet, also contains many antioxidants like polyphenols, which provide additional protection against chronic diseases.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.