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DIET
BUTTER
In recent years there has been an fats and a higher risk for heart disease. Hence the ‘butter is
ongoing debate about butter, back’ headlines that were splashed all over the internet. But
which has led to consumer those behind the study warned against over-simplification.
confusion in the supermarket They had found that there are different types of saturated fats
chilled section. So let’s set with varying compositions that all do different things – some
the record straight. good, some bad. While some dairy products might turn out to
Butter is a saturated fat. cut disease risk, that thought wasn’t extended to butter. The
For decades, we have been team agreed with butter being linked to bad cholesterol. This
advised to reduce is backed up by a recent study by researchers from Harvard,
saturated fat in our diets, who found that a five per cent higher intake of saturated fats,
based on the argument like butter, was associated with a 25 per cent increased risk of
that it increases bad heart disease. This supports current guidelines focusing on
cholesterol in the blood, reducing saturated fat intake and replacing butter with oils
which can clog arteries, high in unsaturated fat. Nevertheless, according to the study
causing heart attacks or strokes. you won’t see any benefits from cutting out saturated fat if you
Public Health England advises continue filling up on refined carbs such as white bread. It’s
people to cut down on saturated fat, only by eating complex carbs like vegetables and
based on a review of 15 clinical trials. wholegrains that you can slash your risk.
On the other hand, researchers at the Some
University of Cambridge presented a study in VERDICT: Stick to olive and sunflower oil for
2014, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, dairy goods cooking, and use butter sparingly.
reviewing existing published data. The team might cut disease
stated that there was no significant evidence
regarding a correlation between saturated risk, but that
thought does
not include
PASTEURISED MILK butter
There are recognised health benefits to
the white stuff – it’s full of nutrients and
helps build strong bones. But, recently, bacteria. Unfortunately, it kills the
proponents have been claiming that beneficial ones too. Still, according to a
drinking raw milk, rather than pasteurised, 2015 analysis by Johns Hopkins University,
offers even greater benefits. But what’s consumers are 100 times more likely to get
the difference? Raw milk comes from food-borne illnesses from raw milk than
grass-fed cows and is full of nutrients, pasteurised. For consumer safety,
including beneficial bacteria like European and North American legislation
Lactobacillus acidophilus. This ‘good’ mandates the pasteurisation of milk and
bacteria produces vitamin K2, improves that is what we buy from shops.
absorption of nutrients and normalises If you want to give raw milk a try, you’ll
gut function. Raw milk contains high levels have to go to specialist outlets, such as
of vitamins, enzymes and calcium. But it farm shops and markets. Unpasteurised
cheeses, like parmesan, are more widely
can also contain bacteria that cause food
SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY X2 poisoning and can be particularly harmful available because harmful bacteria occur
in such low numbers.
to children, people who are unwell and
pregnant women.
Pasteurisation is a process where heat
VERDICT: Milk is great for calcium and other
is applied to milk to destroy harmful
nutrients, but pasteurised is safer. 5
