A recent study has revealed that a commonly consumed food may heighten the risk of mortality. Researchers analyzed data from over 221,000 adults over a span of 30 to 50 years and found a correlation between butter consumption and increased mortality risk. Throughout the study period, around 50,932 deaths were recorded within the group, with cancer accounting for 12,241 deaths and heart disease for 11,240.
Upon adjusting for various factors, individuals with the highest butter intake in the group exhibited a 15% higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with the lowest intake. In contrast, individuals with the highest consumption of plant-based oils like corn, olive, and rapeseed had a 16% lower risk of mortality compared to those with the lowest intake.
The study highlighted that for every 10g per day increase in plant-based oil consumption, there was an 11% lower risk of death from cancer and a 6% lower risk of death from heart disease. Conversely, a higher intake of butter was associated with a 12% higher risk of death from cancer.
Substituting 10g of butter per day with an equivalent amount of plant-based oils was linked to an estimated 17% decrease in all-cause mortality and a 17% decrease in cancer-related deaths. The authors, writing in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, concluded that a higher butter intake correlated with increased mortality, whereas a higher intake of plant-based oils was associated with reduced mortality. They suggested that replacing butter with plant-based oils could significantly aid in preventing premature deaths.
The research data was sourced from the US Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, involving researchers from Harvard Medical School. Dietary assessments were conducted through food questionnaires every four years. Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London, emphasized the importance of opting for unsaturated vegetable oils over butter for a healthier diet. He highlighted the saturated fat content in butter and the benefits of unsaturated fats in oils like soybean, canola, and olive.
Sanders stressed the significance of choosing unsaturated vegetable oils over butter for improved health outcomes. He addressed misconceptions circulating on social media about the potential harmful effects of vegetable oils, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based information to guide dietary choices.