Do you know that butter is good for you, and that you shouldn’t be eating margarine?
The word has been out for some time now that margarine has the dreaded “trans-fats” which have been implicated in heart disease and free-radical damage, and have become one of the “radioactive” food ingredients mentioned in the media, along with high fructose corn syrup. It is now common to see the phrase “No Trans Fats” on various food labeling. Some schools have outright banned foods containing trans fats.
But some people haven’t gotten the word, and continue to eat margarine fearing the rich, saturated fats of butter. But here’s the thing: butter is good for you, especially if it comes from grass fed cows. You can recognize butter from grass fed cows by its deep, yellow color. Regular butter (grain or hay fed dairy cows) is more closer to a white color.
Butter is rich in short and medium chain fatty acids, including even small amounts of lauric acid. It is rich in antioxidants as well, in the form of beta carotene, vitamin E, and selenium. It is one of the best sources of vitamin A. Because living grass is richer in vitamins E, A, and beta-carotene than stored hay or standard dairy diets, butter from dairy cows grazing on fresh pasture is also richer in these important nutrients. The naturally golden color of grass-fed butter is a clear indication of its superior nutritional value. (Searles, SK et al, “Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and Carotene Contents of Alberta Butter.” Journal of Diary Science, 53(2) 150–154.)
Another benefit of grass fed butter is that it has a more favorable Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acid ratio. The standard American diet is too heavy on the Omega 6 fatty acids, which come primarily from food fried in vegetable (corn) oil and consuming grain-fed meat (chicken, beef, pork). High ratios of Omega 6 to Omega 3 can lead to heart disease.
Lastly, grass fed butter is high in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Research and anecdotal evidence shows that CLA can act as a deterrent for tumor growth, and can reduce body fat in people who are overweight.
So yes, go on ahead and load up on that rich, tasty butter. The butter I personally buy for my family is Kerry Gold Irish butter, and can be found at your nearest Whole Foods grocery store.
Dan Perez, DC
San Francisco Chiropractor
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you. I raise grassfed beef at my property in Somerset, near Placerville. They are never grained and give sweet, healthy meat. My cows are South Devons, an old english varietal.
Perhaps people should know that the federal government allows producers to call meat “grassfed” if 90% is grassfed. That allows some to put cows on grain for the last months there by changing the rumen, the fat and the health benefits!
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