Why Butter is Better

Grokette

* Vitamins ...

Butter is a rich source of easily absorbed vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions, from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape.

Butter also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet.

* Minerals ...

Butter is rich in important trace minerals, including manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). Butter provides more selenium per gram than wheat germ or herring. Butter is also an excellent source of iodine.

* Fatty Acids ...

Butter provides appreciable amounts of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which support immune function, boost metabolism and have anti-microbial properties; that is, they fight against pathogenic microorganisms in the intestinal tract.

Butter also provides the perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Arachidonic acid in butter is important for brain function, skin health and prostaglandin balance.

* Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) ...

When butter comes from cows eating green grass, it contains high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound that gives excellent protection against cancer and also helps your body build muscle rather than store fat.

* Glycospingolipids ...

These are a special category of fatty acids that protect against gastrointestinal infections, especially in the very young and the elderly. Children given reduced-fat milks have higher rates of diarrhea than those who drink whole milk.

* Cholesterol ...

Despite all of the misinformation you may have heard, cholesterol is needed to maintain intestinal health and for brain and nervous system development in the young.

* Wulzen Factor ...

A hormone-like substance that prevents arthritis and joint stiffness, ensuring that calcium in your body is put into your bones rather than your joints and other tissues. The Wulzen factor is present only in raw butter and cream; it is destroyed by pasteurization.

Butter and Your Health

Is butter really healthy? Let us count the ways …

1. Heart Disease

Butter contains many nutrients that protect against heart disease including vitamins A, D, K2, and E, lecithin, iodine and selenium. A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine (Nutrition Week 3/22/91, 21:12).

2. Cancer

The short- and medium-chain fatty acids in butter have strong anti-tumor effects. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in butter from grass-fed cows also gives excellent protection against cancer.

3. Arthritis

The Wulzen or "anti-stiffness" factor in raw butter and also Vitamin K2 in grasss-fed butter, protect against calcification of the joints as well as hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland. Calves fed pasteurized milk or skim milk develop joint stiffness and do not thrive.

4. Osteoporosis

Vitamins A, D and K2 in butter are essential for the proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus and hence necessary for strong bones and teeth.

5. Thyroid Health

Butter is a good source of iodine, in a highly absorbable form. Butter consumption prevents goiter in mountainous areas where seafood is not available. In addition, vitamin A in butter is essential for proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

6. Digestion

Glycospingolipids in butterfat protect against gastrointestinal infection, especially in the very young and the elderly.

7. Growth & Development

Many factors in the butter ensure optimal growth of children, especially iodine and vitamins A, D and K2. Low-fat diets have been linked to failure to thrive in children -- yet low-fat diets are often recommended for youngsters!

8. Asthma

Saturated fats in butter are critical to lung function and protect against asthma.

9. Overweight

CLA and short- and medium-chain fatty acids in butter help control weight gain.

10. Fertility

Many nutrients contained in butter are needed for fertility and normal reproduction.

Why You Should Avoid Margarine, Shortening and Spreads

There are a myriad of unhealthy components to margarine and other butter imposters, including:

* Trans fats: These unnatural fats in margarine, shortenings and spreads are formed during the process of hydrogenation, which turns liquid vegetable oils into a solid fat

Trans fats contribute to heart disease, cancer, bone problems, hormonal imbalance and skin disease; infertility, difficulties in pregnancy and problems with lactation; and low birth weight, growth problems and learning disabilities in children.

A U.S. government panel of scientists determined that man-made trans fats are unsafe at any level. (Small amounts of natural trans fats occur in butter and other animal fats, but these are not harmful.)

* Free radicals: Free radicals and other toxic breakdown products are the result of high temperature industrial processing of vegetable oils. They contribute to numerous health problems, including cancer and heart disease.

* Synthetic vitamins: Synthetic vitamin A and other vitamins are added to margarine and spreads. These often have an opposite (and detrimental) effect compared to the natural vitamins in butter.

* Emulsifiers and preservatives: Numerous additives of questionable safety are added to margarines and spreads. Most vegetable shortening is stabilized with preservatives like BHT.

* Hexane and other solvents: Used in the extraction process, these industrial chemicals can have toxic effects.

* Bleach: The natural color of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is grey so manufacturers bleach it to make it white. Yellow coloring is then added to margarine and spreads.

* Artificial flavors: These help mask the terrible taste and odor of partially hydrogenated oils, and provide a fake butter taste.

* Mono- and di-glycerides: These contain trans fats that manufacturers do not have to list on the label. They are used in high amounts in so-called "low-trans" spreads.

* Soy protein isolate: This highly processed powder is added to "low-trans" spreads to give them body. It can contribute to thyroid dysfunction, digestive disorders and many other health problems.

* Sterols: Often added to spreads to give them cholesterol-lowering qualities, these estrogen compounds can cause endocrine problems; in animals these sterols contribute to sexual inversion.

How to Purchase Butter

The BEST butter is raw butter from grass-fed cows, preferably organic. Next is pasteurized butter from grass-fed cows, followed by regular pasteurized butter from supermarkets. Even the latter two are still a much healthier choice than margarine or spreads.

For sources of raw butter, visit www.realmilk.com.

Sources:
The Weston A. Price Foundation

BeautifulScarsWECHANGED

THANK YOU for posting this! I am a firm believer in the natural... butter is natural. Margarine is not... :bigsmile:

MCS64

Thanks for the information! Very interesting.

lutzsher

We dropped all items that were full of chemicals a few years ago after my husband had some health issues. Not only is butter a healthier option than margarine or other spreads, but it is at least a natural substance. Of course, moderation is key just as with anything else.
I have adopted the philosophy with all consumables of "did my grandparents eat this?". We have gone back to the basics now, making everything from sratch including tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, etc. I even bake much of our bread (use the dough setting in my bread machine so I can walk away for a few hours but then bake it in a bread pan in the oven so it is a traditional shape).

vanillasugar

Definitely. I've been using real butter since my aunt told me a few years ago that flies (that eat almost anything) - will NOT eat margarine/spreads if it's left setting out. That icked me out, lol

♥jewelchristian♥

It's really quite simple - nature over science, or as I like to say...I trust cows more than scientists.

fitnesspirateninja

I'm lactose intolerant, so I can't have butter. But I just use olive oil. It's good stuff!

♥jewelchristian♥

It's still natural :happy:

HealthyChanges2010

bump...looks like a great read, thanks!:drinker:

hpsnickers1

Great post. I just had someone last week tell me she uses butter because our bodies know butter. Partially hydrogenated oils - our bodies are clueless.

I only use margarine spreads rarely so next time I shop I'm buying butter!

hpsnickers1

Definitely. I've been using real butter since my aunt told me a few years ago that flies (that eat almost anything) - will NOT eat margarine/spreads if it's left setting out. That icked me out, lol

Very, very interesting considering what you usually find them hovering over (eww!)

JoyousRen

You left out that it it tastes so much better too!

lupuslady

This is a great post, my dear friend was battling cancer and during this five year battle, her dr told her to stop eating margerine and to eat only butter. We found out at the same time our youngest son is allergic to soybeans and marg. is made up of soybean, so our family switch to butter. I use the philosphy if it has anything in it You can not pronounce do NOT eat it.

MalabarDietClub

Fear mongering from a dairy lobby group.

Some points are just laughable, such as butter promoting weight loss. If you're relying on butter to get your vitamins, you're clearly eating wrong.

Margarine has less saturated fat than butter, no cholesterol and contains less calories.

Grokette

We dropped all items that were full of chemicals a few years ago after my husband had some health issues. Not only is butter a healthier option than margarine or other spreads, but it is at least a natural substance. Of course, moderation is key just as with anything else.
I have adopted the philosophy with all consumables of "did my grandparents eat this?". We have gone back to the basics now, making everything from sratch including tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, etc. I even bake much of our bread (use the dough setting in my bread machine so I can walk away for a few hours but then bake it in a bread pan in the oven so it is a traditional shape).

I make all of our stuff also!!! I don't hardly shop at a grocery store for very much at all.

My sister makes my soap and shampoo............I make the cleaning supplies and we either use soap nuts for laundry or I make home made washing soap from a recipe I got a few months ago from another MFP member.

We get our meats either from a local meat market or local farmer. Fruits and veggies from our CSA memebership.........

I home make my hubby bread and rolls, sweet potato pies for the holidays right now.............I used almond flour for the crust.

Awesome!!! I love to find people with the same mind set. Unfortunately, there are not many such people on this site.

Grokette

Fear mongering from a dairy lobby group.

Some points are just laughable, such as butter promoting weight loss. If you're relying on butter to get your vitamins, you're clearly eating wrong.

Margarine has less saturated fat than butter, no cholesterol and contains less calories.

This is not fear mongering - I don't visit any sites that promote lobbying from any groups.

And butter does promote weight loss, especially if it is from grass fed cows due to more CLA found in the butter.

Saturated fat is natural and it is NOT bad for you. I have plenty of research to back up every word I am saying.

Grokette

Great post. I just had someone last week tell me she uses butter because our bodies know butter. Partially hydrogenated oils - our bodies are clueless.

I only use margarine spreads rarely so next time I shop I'm buying butter!

Oh yes............you should try Amish roll butter or the Irish Gold butter. It is pure heaven.

Grokette

Fear mongering from a dairy lobby group.

Some points are just laughable, such as butter promoting weight loss. If you're relying on butter to get your vitamins, you're clearly eating wrong.

Margarine has less saturated fat than butter, no cholesterol and contains less calories.

Some facts about Weston A Price Foundation.......................(No Lobbyists here)

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity founded in 1999 to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated nonindustrialized peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the optimum characteristics of human diets. Dr. Price's research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.

The Foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on the use of soy formula for infants.

The Foundation seeks to establish a laboratory to test nutrient content of foods, particularly butter produced under various conditions; to conduct research into the "X Factor," discovered by Dr. Price; and to determine the effects of traditional preparation methods on nutrient content and availability in whole foods.

The board and membership of the Weston A. Price Foundation stand united in the belief that modern technology should be harnessed as a servant to the wise and nurturing traditions of our ancestors rather than used as a force destructive to the environment and human health; and that science and knowledge can validate those traditions.

The Foundation's quarterly journal, Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts, is dedicated to exploring the scientific validation of dietary, agricultural and medical traditions throughout the world. It features illuminating and thought-provoking articles on current scientific research; human diets; non-toxic agriculture; and holistic therapies. The journal also serves as a reference for sources of foods that have been conscientiously grown and processed.

MalabarDietClub

Saturated fat isn't bad because it's natural? So is cyanide and asbestos. I'm guessing LDL cholesterol (found in butter) is good too then?

As for butter promoting weight loss, I know a couple of people that eat a lot of butter and they do look like it too. By that I don't mean that they are skinny either.


As for that foundation: "The anti-vegetarian and anti-soy views of the foundation have also been criticized in several publications."

Edit: What happened to "If it’s “beige” or “white,” keep it out of sight."?

Some butter in the diet might be fine, but it definitely should not play a large part in it.

Grokette

Saturated fat isn't bad because it's natural? So is cyanide and asbestos. I'm guessing LDL cholesterol (found in butter) is good too then?

As for butter promoting weight loss, I know a couple of people that eat a lot of butter and they do look like it too. By that I don't mean that they are skinny either.


As for that foundation: "The anti-vegetarian and anti-soy views of the foundation have also been criticized in several publications."

Here is some good, old fashioned knowledge about saturated fats. You thinking that saturated fats are bad is fear mongering from lobbyists for the soy and grain industries...............

You also have to keep in mind that Coconut Oil - which is the healthiest fat in the world, is you guessed it!! A saturated fat. Do some reading and research please.

The Importance of Saturated Fats for Biological Functions
Health Topics - Know Your Fats
Thursday, 08 July 2004 14:09

Many people recognize that saturated fats are needed for energy, hormone production, cellular membranes and for organ padding. You may be surprised to learn that certain saturated fatty acids are also needed for important signaling and stabilization processes in the body.

Signaling processes work in the cells at the level of the membrane proteins, many of which are called G-protein receptors. The G-protein receptors become stimulated by different molecules and can be turned off or on in a manner similar to a binary light switch, which remains on for a limited time and then flips itself off until it is stimulated again.

The saturated fatty acids that play important roles in these processes are the 16-carbon palmitic acid, the 14-carbon myristic acid and the 12-carbon lauric acid. These saturated fatty acids are found in certain food fats. Palmitic acid, for example, comprises 45 percent of palm oil and about 25 percent of animal and dairy fats. Furthermore, the body makes palmitic acid out of excess carbohydrates and excess protein.

A biochemical process called palmitoylation, in which the body uses palmitic acid in stabilization processes, although not very well known, is very important to our health.

When these important saturated fatty acids are not readily available, certain growth factors in the cells and organs will not be properly aligned. This is because the various receptors, such as G-protein receptors, need to be coupled with lipids in order to provide localization of function.

The messages that are sent from the outside of the cell to the inner part of the cell control many functions including those activated by, for example, adrenaline in the primitive mammalian fight/flight reactions. When the adrenal gland produces adrenaline and the adrenaline (beta-adrenergic) receptor communicates with the G-protein and its signal cascade, the parts of the body are alerted to the need for action; the heart beats faster, the blood flow to the gut decreases while the blood flow to the muscles increases and the production of glucose is stimulated.

The G-proteins come in different forms; the alpha subunit is covalently linked to myristic acid and the function of this subunit is important for turning on and off the binding to an enzyme called adenylate cyclase and thus the amplification of important hormone signals.

When researchers looked at the fatty acid composition of the phospholipids in the T-cells (white blood cells), from both young and old donors, they found that a loss of saturated fatty acids in the lymphocytes was responsible for age-related declines in white blood cell function. They found that they could correct cellular deficiencies in palmitic acid and myristic acid by adding these saturated fatty acids.

Most Westerners consume very little myristic acid because it is provided by coconut oil and dairy fats, both of which we are told to avoid. But myristic acid is a very important fatty acid, which the body uses to stabilize many different proteins, including proteins used in the immune system and to fight tumors. This function is called myristoylation; it occurs when myristic acid is attached to the protein in a specific position where it functions usefully. For example, the body has the ability to suppress production of tumors from lung cancer cells if a certain genetically determined suppressor gene is available. This gene is called fus1 and is a protein that has been modified with covalent addition of the saturated fatty acid myristic acid. Thus, the loss of myristic acid from the diet can have unfortunate consequences, including cancer and immune system dysfunction.

Lauric acid has several functions. It is an antimicrobial fatty acid on its own and as a monoglyceride. It also has the function of stabilization when it is attached to certain proteins in a similar fashion to myristic acid and palmitic acid.

Stearic acid is the 18-carbon saturated fatty acid. The main sources are animal tallows, which contain about 20-25 percent stearic acid, and chocolate, which contains about 35 percent stearic acid. In other foods it occurs only on levels of 1-2 percent.

How much total saturated do we need? During the 1970s, researchers from Canada found that animals fed rapeseed oil and canola oil developed heart lesions. This problem was corrected when they added saturated fat to the animals diets. On the basis of this and other research, they ultimately determined that the diet should contain at least 25 percent of fat as saturated fat. Among the food fats that they tested, the one found to have the best proportion of saturated fat was lard, the very fat we are told to avoid under all circumstances!

These are some of the complex but vital reasons we need to include palm oil, coconut oil, butter and lard in our diets.



This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Spring 2004.

About the Author

Mary G. Enig, PhDMary G. Enig, PhD is an expert of international renown in the field of lipid biochemistry. She has headed a number of studies on the content and effects of trans fatty acids in America and Israel, and has successfully challenged government assertions that dietary animal fat causes cancer and heart disease. Recent scientific and media attention on the possible adverse health effects of trans fatty acids has brought increased attention to her work. She is a licensed nutritionist, certified by the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists, a qualified expert witness, nutrition consultant to individuals, industry and state and federal governments, contributing editor to a number of scientific publications, Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and President of the Maryland Nutritionists Association. She is the author of over 60 technical papers and presentations, as well as a popular lecturer. Dr. Enig is currently working on the exploratory development of an adjunct therapy for AIDS using complete medium chain saturated fatty acids from whole foods. She is Vice-President of the Weston A Price Foundation and Scientific Editor of Wise Traditions as well as the author of Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils, and Cholesterol, Bethesda Press, May 2000. She is the mother of three healthy children brought up on whole foods including butter, cream, eggs and meat.