A new study suggests that replacing butter with certain plant-based oils may reduce one’s risk of death.
There has been a growing pushback against vegetable oils sourced from plant seeds in recent years. These oils are frequently used in processed foods, and critics say they are often preferred for their lower cost despite being inflammatory.
However, a new study says butter, ghee, and animal fats may not be as healthy as some would like to believe.
Study coauthor Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, disagrees that butter, for example, is a health food.
“For some reason that is not clear to me, a myth has been floating around the internet that butter is a healthy fat, but there is no good evidence to support this,” Willett, a specialist on the impact of diet on disease, told CNN.
The new study found that higher butter consumption was linked to a 15% higher mortality risk. However, plant-based oils, like soybean and canola oil, were associated with a 16% reduction in total mortality.
“Seventeen percent is quite a big change, especially when you look at the public health perspective… Imagine how many deaths we can reduce in the general population,” said Dr. Yu Zhang, study coauthor and researcher at the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
While the study may shed light on the controversial topic, it was not without limitations. The researchers had to rely on the participants’ self-reported dietary habits once every four years.
For butter estimates, intake amounts included any amount used in cooking, baking, or spreading on food. On the other hand, plant-based oil consumption was estimated based on the type of oil used in everyday cooking activities like frying.
Zhang says butter may still be the better choice in some instances. For example, if one has to choose between butter and partially hydrogenated plant oil rich in trans fats, like certain margarines, butter is likely the healthier option.