Butter, especially from grass-fed cows is a wonder health food, that many people tend to ignore. Caroline Muchobia, Health and Nutrition Manager Fresh Dairy tips on why she believes, butter has made its comeback as a ‘Healthy Food’.
Butter can be used to complement meals, as a cooking or spread supplement, or as a part of recipes.
- Butter is rich in fat-soluble vitamins
A fat soluble vitamin can dissolve in fats and oils. Butter is rich in fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, E and K2. Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth, skeleton and soft tissue, mucus membranes and skin while Vitamin E is an antioxidant which protects the body from damage caused by substances called free radicals. While these can easily be found in vegetables and animal products, Vitamin K2 which is rare in modern diets can simply be found in Butter. Vitamin K2 can have powerful effects on health since it is intimately involved in calcium metabolism and a low intake has been associated with many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis. Butter made out of grass-fed cows is particularly rich in Vitamin K2.
- Butter lowers heart attack risk compared to margarine
Recent studies have revealed that high consumption of butter reduces the risk of heart disease by approximately 69%, most likely due to increased Vitamin K2 intake.
- Butter is a great anti-inflammatory
Butter contains butyrate which is an anti-inflammatory and has powerful protective effects on the digestive system. Butyrate is created by bacteria in the colon when they are exposed to dietary fiber. It helps prevent weight gain by increasing energy expenditure and reducing food intake.
- Butter is rich in conjugated linoleic Acid
Butter, especially from grass-fed cows, is a great source of a fatty acid called Conjugated Linoleic Acid, which has powerful effects on metabolism and is actually sold commercially as a weight loss supplement. This Acid has been shown to have anti-cancer properties as well as lowering body fat percentage in humans.
- Butter is associated with a lower risk of obesity
High butter intake has also been associated with lower risk of obesity and metabolic disorders.
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