Foodies, take note: Butter may not be as bad for you as you thought!

New research suggests it may actually be good for health

Butter is a “middle-of-the-road” food, they say. It’s better than sugar but worse than olive oil.

But new study analysed that included over 600,000 people and concluded that consuming it is not linked to a higher risk for heart disease and might be slightly protective against type 2 diabetes, reported Time magazine. This goes against the longstanding notion that butter should be avoided as it contains saturated fat.

To be clear, the study doesn’t say butter is a health food. “Rather, it isn’t hugely harmful or beneficial,” says study author Dr Dariush Mozaffarian. This is in line with the new idea that cutting back on fat, even the saturated kind, is doing more harm than good. “In my mind, saturated fat is kind of neutral,” Mozaffarian says. “Vegetable oils and fruits and nuts are healthier than butter, but low-fat turkey meat, bagels, cornflakes or soda are worse.”

In the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the researchers looked at people’s butter consumption and found no link to heart or other diseases. In fact, those who ate butter daily had a 4% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to understand why, but it may be due in part to the fact that dairy fat also contains monounsaturated fats that can improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.

Indeed, research is mounting that saturated fat is better than processed carbohydrates like sugar or white bread. In April, Mozaffarian published a separate study in the journal Circulation that analysed the blood of 3,333 adults. People who had higher levels of three byproducts from full-fat dairy had a 46% lower risk of getting diabetes than people with lower levels. Other studies have also shown that full-fat products like dairy can be useful in weight maintenance and other health factors.

Mozaffarian hopes this research shifts focus to the actual foods people eat. “We eat cheese, butter, yogurt, milk and meat,” says Mozaffarian, as opposed to calcium, fat and protein. Plus, just because butter and a pastrami sandwich both contain saturated fat, it's the food that matters most. “Processed meats may have different effects on stroke and heart disease, not because of the saturated fat, but because of sodium and the preservatives," he says. "In the end, just making decisions about a food based on one thing is not useful.”

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.