Why Butter Is Better | The Epoch Times

In the early 1900s, Americans consumed about 18 pounds of butter per person per year—and that doesn’t include the butterfat they got from whole milk, cream, and cheese. Today that number stands at about five pounds, a slight increase over the past few years from a low of four pounds per person per year.

With the advent of electricity, Procter and Gamble had no one to buy candles. Because their candle business was declining, they decided to promote partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil as a food. They called their product Crisco—short for “crystalized cotton seed oil”—and it came on the scene in 1911 along with a cookbook called “The Story of Crisco.”

The science of fats and oils has come a long way since the early 1900s, and we now know a lot more about butter—although we’re unlikely to read about butter’s many important components in the newspapers. Here are a few of the good things we get from butter:

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration claim that butter is an “empty” fat, but butter is an easy way to get fat-soluble vitamin A on a daily basis. It also provides vitamins D, K2, and E. Typical spreads contain only one form of vitamin A and none of the other fat-soluble vitamins.

Minerals

Butter contains trace amounts of important minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and selenium. The amounts may be small, but they are absorbed efficiently because of the presence of the fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin D. Butter provides a small amount of iodine, especially if the cows are grazing on iodine-rich soil or receive an iodine teat wash, which also is efficiently absorbed.

Butyric Acid

This is a very small fat molecule that is almost unique to butter. Our bodies make butyric acid when good bacteria ferment high-fiber foods in the colon, but in butter, we get butyric acid readymade. Butyric acid is important for digestion and seems to protect us against constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and colon cancer.

New research indicates that butyric acid in butter supports the assimilation of vitamin A. Butyric acid also supports thyroid function by making the thyroid cells more sensitive to thyroid hormones. The combination of vitamin A, iodine, and butyric acid in butter makes it the perfect food for thyroid function. And a fascinating line of research is exploring ways that butyric acid can help with addiction and alleviate pain.

Arachidonic Acid

Unique to animal fats, arachidonic acid is important for skin health, digestion, and brain function—it’s especially abundant in the brain. Arachidonic acid is critical to mental health, as endocannabinoids are derived from it. Other feel-good chemical pathways involve arachidonic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin D. Butter is a happy-making fat, for sure.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a beneficial kind of trans fat, and butter, especially from grass-fed cows, has a lot of it. CLA protects against cancer and helps the body build muscle rather than store fat. A research review published in Nutrients in 2019 found evidence to suggest that “CLA has efficacy against cancer, obesity, and atherosclerosis.”

Glycosphingolipids

Glycosphingolipids are a special category of fats that support the immune system and are also critical for a healthy nervous system.

Cholesterol

Yes, cholesterol. Cholesterol is mainly made in the body and plays vital roles in the body. Babies and toddlers in particular need cholesterol because they don’t make their own. Cholesterol is essential for growth, neurological health, muscle function, and hormone production.

Saturated Fat

Saturated fats play many important roles in the body’s chemistry. So important are saturated fats that the body has a backup plan if we don’t eat enough of them: It makes them out of carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates. Cravings for carbs often wane when you add plenty of butter to the diet.

Conclusion

Margarines and spreads made with vegetable oils contain none of the special fatty acids that occur mainly in animal fats. Although modern spreads contain no trans fats, they do contain industrially processed seed oils, which are rancid and break down into highly reactive aldehydes. The use of soybean oil is especially concerning because it contains estrogen-like compounds. Then there are the additives, such as potassium sorbate, calcium disodium, citric acid, and artificial flavorings.

The best butter comes from cows that graze on green grass. Butter from Ireland and New Zealand—available in many supermarkets—fits this category, and grass-fed butter from small dairy farms is often available locally. Use it liberally on toast, potatoes, and vegetables. Your body will thank you for it.