I Can't Believe It's Not Banned!

Although it's something I have advocated for years, eating butter has been generally frowned upon by the mainstream health establishment, despite evidence to the contrary.  A new analysis published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ 2013; 346) revisited a study conducted in the late 60s and early 70s, revealing that people who substituted margarine for butter died sooner than those who made no changes to their diet.  Researchers from the National Institutes of Health decided to revisit this study because it focused exclusively on the impact on increased consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (linoleic acid), whereas other studies looked at multiple dietary interventions.  Even when researchers looked at data from older studies, they still found a possible increased risk of heart disease with higher omega-6 intakes.

So, does this mean that it's healthy to slather butter over everything you eat?  Of course not.  However, it does suggest that what we've been told is "healthy" for the last 50 plus years is completely inaccurate.  If you've avoided butter entirely based on bad advice from your medical doctor or uninformed dietitian, you no longer have to live in fear!  The fats found in butter are key components of cell membranes found in the heart and nervous system, act as precursors for hormone production, and improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.  As proven by this new publication, as well as other studies in the past, you can eat these fats in moderation, and they won't clog your arteries as so falsely purported for as long as I can remember.

The results of this analysis highlight the fact that interactions between fat and cholesterol in the body are complex, and multiple factors need to be taken into account when trying to determine the ideal dietary recommendations.  For example, researchers determined that the group of patients who increased their omega-6 (margarine) intake ended up with lower cholesterol levels, yet had an increased incidence of death.  This pretty much goes against everything that the current medical establishment recommends for heart disease prevention, particularly cholesterol-lowering medications and low-fat diets.  The take away message is that we clearly don't have all the answers when it comes to understanding the development of heart disease as it relates to fat and cholesterol intake.  However, by increasing your consumption of omega-3s and limiting your intake of margarine and other "synthesized" fats, you'll already be ahead of the mainstream recommendations!