Little butter a day may not harm your heart

The findings showed that patients suffering from heart problems or any related chronic diseases have no cause to worry as the increase in risk due to butter consumption was extremely small. Butter has been found as a healthier choice in comparison to sugar and starch-enriched food like white bread or potatoes. 

However, butter when spread on unhealthy foods like white bread may increase the risk of diabetes as well as cardiovascular diseases. “Our results suggest that butter should neither be demonised nor considered ‘back’ as a route to good health,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, Associate Professor at Tufts University in the US. 

On the other hand, consuming margarine and cooking oils rich in healthy fats such as soybean, canola, flaxseed and extra virgin olive oils are likely to lower the risks compared to butter or refined grains. 

“Even though people who eat more butter generally have worse diets and lifestyles, it seemed to be pretty neutral overall,” said Laura Pimpin, Data Analyst at the UK Health Forum. 

The study published in PLOS ONE, found mostly small or insignificant associations of each daily serving of butter with total mortality, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 

“More research is needed to better understand the observed potential lower risk of diabetes, which has also been suggested in some other studies of dairy fat,” the researchers noted.