There has been so much controversy around a bit of butter, but as a paediatric dietitian and supporter of the Banting diet, Kath Megaw makes it better.
Margarine, butter and oils all contain the same amount of fat. In a teaspoon serving, they also contain the same number of calories: 1tsp = 5g, fat = 45 calories.
The type of fats found in butter and margarine is where things differ. Butter is generally seen as a high-saturated, fat-containing food, while margarine, specifically non-hydrogenated, is very low in saturated fat.
There is a lot of debate in the world of nutrition about whether saturated fats are really the “nutritional devil”.
Decades after we began switching from whole milk to skim, from butter to olive oil and from red meat to turkey breast – all in an effort to cut saturated fat – nutritional researchers have concluded that saturated fat might not be so bad for our hearts after all.
A recent study that received a great deal of attention analysed a trove of data from 27 clinical trials and 49 population studies and found no difference in heart disease rates among those who had the least amount of saturated fat, compared with those who consumed the most.
Researchers found that when foods high in saturated fat were replaced with refined carbohydrates and added sugar, the associated risk for cardiovascular disease could be increased, even though saturated fat intake was low.
Thus saturated fat intake must be looked at in the context of the diet overall rather than in isolation to accurately assess its relationship to health.
In an interview about the study results, co-author of the meta-analysis, Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, of the Harvard School of Public Health, confirmed that the relative risk of saturated fat intake was dependent on what else you were eating.
An excess intake of refined carbohydrates and added sugar (found in many “low fat” processed foods, snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages) are detrimental to the diet.
Mozaffarian explained: “The results of this study found that the focus on a single nutrient like saturated fat alone may not be the best approach to fight heart disease.”
For now, this is what we do know about fat: it’s one of three macronutrients (with protein and carbohydrates). Our body needs fat for energy and hormone production. Fat is an important storage carrier of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
But it’s been the punching bag for the diet industry for what seems like forever.
Why is that? Calories.
But butter is a natural food essential to your health. It is important to make the extra effort to obtain high-quality organic, raw butter.
Margarines, on the other hand, are a processed food, created chemically from refined polyunsaturated fats.
While there has been a backlash against saturated fats as artery cloggers, evidence shows that refined unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have higher health risks.
Trans fats found in fried and processed foods have detrimental effects on your health, including causing a risk for Type 2 diabetes, lowering HDL (good cholesterol) and reducing blood vessel function.
The list below shows some examples of where you can get healthy sources of essential fatty acids. Remember to balance your consumption ratio of Omega-6s and Omega-3s one to one:
l Coconut oil and ghee to sauté.
l Raw butter.
l Olive oil.
l Seed and nut oils: flax oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil, macadamia nut oil, pumpkin seed oil.
l Fish oils: cod liver oil, salmon, krill.
Although butter has had fluctuations in reputation over the years, it is actually a beneficial part of a person’s diet and can improve the immune system, regulate hormones, protect vision, boost metabolism, increase brain function, reduce chances of heart disease and high blood pressure and protect you from cancer.
It can protect against gastro-intestinal conditions and helps ensure proper development of brain and nervous system development.
Many people are shocked to hear that natural butter can work to improve the health of your heart.
Butter contains HDL cholesterol, also considered “good” cholesterol.
This omega-3 fatty acid reduces the presence of omega-6 fatty acid (“bad” cholesterol), which can clog up arteries and lead to atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
However, the reason that butter gets a bad name is because it has both types of cholesterol.
That being said, organic butter does have good cholesterol, and higher levels of good cholesterol than what is found in processed butter and margarine.
l Megaw is the author of Real Food, Healthy Happy Children