Butter vs. plant-based oils? How do they compare on links to premature death?

High intake of butter has been found to be associated with premature death, according to a study based out of the U.S.The stated objective of the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, was to investigate the associations between butter intake and plant-based oil intake with total mortality (deaths from all causes) and cause-specific mortality, particularly death from cancer and cardiovascular disease, among U.S. adults.Higher butter intake was found to be associated with increased total mortality and cancer mortality. Inversely, higher intake of plant-based oils was associated with lower total mortality as well as lower mortality from cancer and cardiovascular disease.“Substituting butter with plant-based oils, particularly olive, soybean and canola oils, may confer substantial benefits for preventing premature deaths,” the authors wrote.These oils are rich in polyunsaturated fat and are linked to cardiovascular health, lower cholesterol levels and reduced inflammation, they added.Butter, by contrast, is rich in saturated fats and has been linked to adverse health outcomes, especially cardiovascular risk.In their analysis, the authors calculated that replacing 10 grams a day of butter intake with an equivalent amount of plant-based oil was associated with an estimated 17% reduction in both total mortality and cancer mortality. (Three pats of butter measures about 15 grams, which is equivalent to a tablespoon of oil).Substituting 10g/d of butter with plant-based oil was also found to be associated with a 6% reduction in mortality from cardiovascular disease, but the authors noted that this finding was “not statistically significant.”The study employed data from three large cohort studies: the Nurses’ Health Study (1990-2023), the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2023), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1990-2023). In total, there were 221,054 adult participants who were followed-up with for up to 33 years. The participants completed a “food frequency questionnaire” at the start of the study and then every four years until the date of death or the end of follow-up in January 2023, whichever occurred first.The participants were predominantly white and healthcare professionals, the authors noted. They added that this “may limit the generalizability of the findings but also help minimize potential socioeconomic confounding.”

Butter vs. plant-based oils? How do they compare on links to premature death?

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