Dairy butter is utterly tasty….the delicious smell of melted butter is irresistible.
But…is butter good for you?
All dairy products, including butter, were severely condemned and frowned upon by the health gurus of the yesteryears because of their saturated fat content.
It was blamed for everything…obesity, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, etc.
But many recent study results on the health benefits of saturated fats and dairy products have turned the table in favor of dairy foods.
All prominent health experts agree that saturated fats from healthy sources are good for health.
Almost all dietitians now highly recommend butter as a ‘health food’ or ‘superfood.’
In this article, I want to discuss three main areas regarding this ‘superfood its major health benefits, drawbacks, and how to choose the healthiest quality of butter for your use.
Major Health Benefits of Dairy Butter
As I was studying and researching a lot on this food, I found that there are many health benefits and advantages of using this dairy food.
If I am to explain all those advantages, it will be a very lengthy article, so I decided to stick to 10 reasons that make butter good for health.
1. Butter Contains Excellent Quality Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins A, E, and K2 are the major fat-soluble vitamins in this dairy food.
Among these, Vitamin K2 is very rarely found in other food sources. This Vitamin is important for healthy calcium metabolism and heart health.
Many people suffer from cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and cancer due to a lack of Vitamin K2 intake.
Vitamin A in butter is extremely good for the health of the eyes, teeth, and bones; it is really good for children to consume a healthy amount of butter regularly for better growth.
2. Butter Is Good For a Healthy Heart Unlike The Margarine
Cardiovascular diseases became rampant in the 20th century: the health authorities in the US squarely blamed saturated fats for this rising health issue.
The health authorities also recommended that the use of butter should be substituted with margarine to reduce the occurrence of heart ailments.
Unfortunately, modern margarine, made up of mainly refined vegetable oil and water, contains a lot of highly processed trans-fats. The consumption of margarine only led to a massive increase in heart diseases.
In the last quarter of the 20th century, several studies showed that saturated fat in butter is healthy and good for the heart. In contrast, consuming processed trans-fats is highly dangerous to the health of the heart and body.
The butter’s antioxidants help prevent the bad effects of LDL cholesterol.
Vitamin A is essential for strengthening the walls of the blood vessels, and it improves the functioning of the heart and cardiovascular system.
The lecithin substance in butter helps increase cholesterol and fat metabolism in the blood.
This dairy product contains selenium (a chemical element or mineral), an excellent antioxidant that fights free radicals and lowers LDL cholesterol levels.
Vitamin K2 is amply present in high-fat dairy products, improving the heart’s health and reducing cholesterol-related diseases.
3. Butter Helps In Weight Control And Reduces Obesity Risks
In the past decade, most health experts would not agree on eating high-fat dairy products for fears of obesity issues.
But a healthy amount of high-fat dairy products like butter in our daily diet helps lower obesity issues or cardiovascular diseases. At least, this is what certain studies’ results in the recent past have suggested.
Unlike the trans-fats, the short and medium-chain fatty acids in butter will not be stored in the adipose tissue. Also, the fat in dairy foods is highly absorbable and quickly metabolized into energy.
The medium-chain fatty acid in butter is very satiating and quickly suppresses the appetite, making us eat less food than otherwise.
You can manage your weight better by eating an ounce of butter daily. The fatty acids stimulate the release of bile, which will create healthy metabolism through greater absorption of vitamins and the elimination of toxins.
4. The Saturated Fats In Butter Is Good For Health
Here what we are going to discuss is very contrary to what we had been taught in the past….say NO to saturated fats!!!
The condemnation of saturated fat was based on mere assumptions than any proven study results.
Many standard studies in the past decades blew off the false assumptions surrounding saturated fats. Recent studies found no association between good saturated fats and cardiovascular diseases.
Good saturated fats from natural sources like dairy products, coconut oils, fish oil, nuts, etc., increase HDL cholesterol and reduce LDL cholesterol.
Most importantly, the saturated fats from dairy products have medium-chain fatty acids, which are easily and quickly converted into energy by the body.
5. Butter Improves Immune System
The best sources of Vitamin A are dairy products. A regular supply of adequate Vitamin A in the body is necessary to maintain a healthy immune system.
The medium-chain fatty acid in butter strengthens the immune system, unlike the hydrogenated fats and an excess of long-chain fatty acids, which can gradually break down the immune system.
6. Butter Improves The Functions Of Thyroid Gland
Butter contains natural iodine that is easily absorbable by the body. Butter consumption can help those facing thyroid disorders due to iodine deficiency.
Vitamin A, easily got from butter, is good for improving the healthiness and functioning of the thyroid gland.
Vitamin A has also been shown to regulate thyroid hormone metabolism and inhibit thyroid-stimulating hormone.
7. Butter Improves Gastrointestinal Health
The glycosphingolipid fatty acid in butter prevents gastrointestinal infection, especially in children and older adults. Skimmed milk without fat often causes diarrhea in most children.
The intestinal wall becomes healthier to resist colon cancer with the help of good cholesterol got from butter.
The medium-chain fatty acids from butter help in protecting the intestine from pathogens and fungal effects.
8. Fatty Acid Butyrate In Butter Is Good
Butyrate is the conjugate base of butyric acid that is normally formed with the help of bacteria in the colon when they come in contact with dietary fiber.
The butter already has a good bit of butyrate, which the body can easily absorb.
The butyrate found in butter is good for accelerating energy expenditure that helps the individual to avoid unhealthy overeating and weight gain. It reduces insulin and fasting triglycerides by improving the functioning of mitochondria.
It is good to have a healthy amount of butyrate in the colon to protect the digestive system and fight inflammation.
9. Conjugated Linoleic Acid Found In Butter Is Healthy
Conjugated Linoleic Acid is an essential fatty acid that is amply found in butter, especially from cattle reared on green pasture lands.
You can notice that most weight loss supplements have Linoleic Acid as one of the major ingredients; because this fatty acid is very good for improving metabolic activities.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid is also widely used in cancer remedies because of its anti-cancer properties.
10. Butter Consumption Reduces Symptoms of Diabetes And Fights Cancer
In the above paragraphs, we have already discussed several properties of butter that have anti-cancer effects.
Vitamins A, E, and selenium minerals in the butter help form antioxidants that decrease the bad effects of LDL cholesterol and improve the sugar balance in the blood.
The sodium butyrate in butter and cheese improves the insulin response mechanism in the body.
The conjugated linoleic acid in butter is also proven to be beneficial in reducing the occurrence of colorectal cancer and breast cancer.
What Are Bad About The Butter?
Is butter bad for you?
Pure and healthy butter processed from the milk of naturally reared cows is alright.
However, the over-consumption of butter can become bad for health, like any other food, for that matter.
Butter is a high-calorie food; 100 grams of butter contains 717 calories. Restricting your daily butter intake to one ounce (28g) for better health reasons is better.
It is healthy to include dairy products in your diet, but never use too many dairy products.
One of the studies says that excess consumption of butter and other dairy products can go beyond the capacity of enzymes to break down galactose; it can build up in the blood and may adversely affect a woman’s ovaries. Especially those women with low levels of digestive enzymes may develop ovarian cancer if dairy products are consumed in excess.
The cows’ milk contains a small amount of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I). Too many IGF-I deposits in the blood can give rise to prostate cancer.
Children who have Type-I diabetes may face increased diabetes risk by regular consumption of dairy products.
People suffering from ‘Lactose Intolerance’ condition must avoid consuming butter and other dairy products regularly.
The dairy products processed from the milk of bovines and cows, administered with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) and other antibiotics, are not healthy for consumption as traces of these hormones and antibiotics will also be found in milk and its byproducts.
Infants and children fed too much dairy products often suffer from constipation and other bowel issues.
How To Choose The Healthiest Butter?
Organic – When picking up butter from dairy stores, look for organic butter. It means no growth hormones, antibiotics, harmful pesticides, or GMOs are being fed to the cows.
Grass-fed – Grass-fed or pastured-raised cows will be more nutritious than cows raised on grains and processed cattle fodder.
Ghee Is Healthier – Ghee is clarified butter in which all the proteins, milk solids, and lactose are removed. The ghee form of butter is more digestible, concentrated with nutrients, and great for immunity-building.
Avoid butter mixes “with olive oil” Like Label: In most cases, these mixes have one or more GMO ingredients like soybean, corn, or canola oil. These mixes of butter often also have additives that are not so healthy.
Limit regular butter consumption to a minimal amount. It is healthy and good to consume about one ounce of butter daily.