Is Butter Bad For You?

Should You Avoid Butter For Better Health?

Perhaps the quickest way to make any dish even more delicious is to add some butter to it. Most people do this reluctantly, though, as if consuming butter is some sort of sin against our health. While people have been churning cream into butter in some form or another for thousands of years, it has only been in the last 50 years that butter was demonized for its “artery clogging” properties. Butter, along with eggs, cheese and red meat––we were told––were responsible for giving us heart disease. But does this information hold up to scrutiny?

Butter is a dairy product made by churning milk fat or cream. It is comprised primarily of fat and some protein. It contains traces of lactose, but not enough to be considered high in lactose or bad for those who are lactose intolerant. Per 100g, it usually contains approximately 80-88% fat and around 45% is saturated fat.

The saturated fat in butter was the reason we were told that it was harmful. Since, however, scientists have backtracked on this claim. More and more, we are finding that saturated fat intake does not necessarily lead to the clogging of arteries that cause heart disease. Foods like butter, it seems, are much less the culprit behind clogged arteries so much as unhealthy, unnatural fats like trans fats are seeming to be. 

Butter, on the other hand seems to have some beneficial things going for it. 

Its rich in Vitamin A. Vitamin A is an important nutrient for vision, immunity and skin health. Butter also contains Vitamin E, which is beneficial for heart health and an important anti-oxidant. 

Butter contains butyrate, which is a short chain fatty acid that is thought to posses health-promoting properties. Butyrate is beneficial for digestive health, supporting the cells in the intestines and reducing inflammation. It is thought to be beneficial against IBS and Crohn’s disease, and supports the uptake of electrolytes.

Its also a good source of conjugated linoleic acid. CLA, of course, is associated with a number of health benefits, including anti-cancer properties, anti-inflammatory properties, and assistance in weight loss. CLA is also potently anti-fungal, making it an important nutrient on The Kaufmann Diet. 

It’s great for cooking, because the smoke point is relatively high (302F), which is due to its high saturated fat content. Adding this to steamed vegetables is a good way to ensure that any fat-soluble nutrients in those foods will have the best chance of being absorbed. 

Ultimately, you should enjoy butter guilt-free on The Kaufmann Diet. It is rich in certain health promoting nutrients, including anti-fungal nutrients, and may do more to protect cardiac health than other, less-healthy fats, especially when enjoyed in the context of the heart-healthy Kaufmann Diet.

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