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A large-scale study found that replacing butter with vegetable oils, such as soy oil and olive oil, can significantly reduce the risk of death from all causes. The researchers found that eating more butter was associated with a 15% increased risk of death, while eating higher amounts of vegetable oils was associated with a 16% lower risk of death. Also, replacing 10 grams of butter per day with vegetable oil can reduce mortality by 17%.
The study tracked the dietary habits of more than 200,000 people over three decades and found that diets rich in butter but low in vegetable oils were associated with a higher risk of death.
The study, conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General Brigham), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, showed that replacing butter with vegetable oils may provide significant health benefits, including reducing the risk of premature death.
After analyzing diet and health data for more than 200,000 people over 30 years, researchers found that higher consumption of vegetable oils — especially soy oil, canola oil, and olive oil — was associated with lower overall mortality, as well as reduced deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease. In contrast, butter consumption was associated with an increased risk of general mortality and cancer-related deaths.
These results were published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine It was also presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions on Lifestyle and Epidemiology.
Yu Zhang, the lead author of the study and a research assistant in the Department of Medicine Network at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Brigham and Women's Hospital), said:
“What is surprising is the extent of the association we found — we observed a 17% reduction in the risk of death when butter was replaced with vegetable oils in the daily diet. That's a big impact on health.”
One of the main differences between butter and vegetable oils is the types of fatty acids they contain. Butter is rich in saturated fatty acids, while vegetable oils contain higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids. Although there have been several studies on dietary fatty acids, studies that have focused on their essential dietary sources, such as butter and oils, have been limited.
The new study was based on an analysis of data from 221,054 participants from three long-term health studies: Nurses' Health Study (NHS), Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII), and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Every four years, participants answered questions about their rate of consumption of certain types of food, allowing researchers to estimate the amount of butter and vegetable oils they ate.
The consumption of butter included both pure butter, butter mixed with margarine, and butter used in cooking and baking. The consumption of vegetable oils was estimated based on their use in frying, baking, and salads.
Researchers analyzed mortality data and causes, and found that people who consumed large amounts of butter had a 15% higher risk of death compared to those who consumed less. In contrast, people who ate large amounts of vegetable oils had a 16% lower risk of death compared to those who consumed small amounts of vegetable oils.
Dr. Daniel Wang, study co-author and assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard University, said:
“People may want to consider that replacing butter with soy or olive oil can provide long-term health benefits.”
He added: “From a public health perspective, this change could reduce a significant number of deaths from cancer or other chronic diseases.”
The researchers also conducted an analysis to simulate the effect of replacing butter with vegetable oils in a dietary trial and found that replacing just 10 grams of butter per day (less than a tablespoon) with vegetable oils could reduce cancer deaths and overall deaths by 17%.
“Even reducing butter consumption slightly and introducing more vegetable oils into the daily diet can have long-term health benefits.” Wang confirmed.
The researchers noted that the study participants were mostly health sector workers, which may mean that the results are not necessarily representative of all segments of the population in the United States. In the future, researchers plan to study the biological mechanisms that make this dietary change have a significant impact on health.
Source: scitechdaily
