Recent studies say butter and other saturated
fats aren’t as bad as we once thought, but nutrition experts still urge people
to keep those foods to a minimum.
You might
want to think twice before pouring butter on that bowl of popcorn.
A study
published in PLOS ONE late last month concluded that butter has no or little
impact on whether a person develops heart disease or diabetes.
Headlines
followed that proclaimed, “Butter is Back.”
However,
a trio of nutrition experts interviewed by Healthline cautioned that although
butter and other saturated fats might not be as unhealthy as previously
believed, they still pose health concerns for people who eat too much of them.
Unsaturated
fats such as vegetable oils, fish, and some nuts, as well as a balanced diet
and exercise, are still preferable, they said.
“That’s
the number one practice that we preach,” said Bethany Diggett, M.S., R.D.N.,
L.D., a clinical dietitian at the University of Kansas Hospital. “Anything in
moderation is OK. With moderation, you have room for everything.”
The problem with saturated fats
Diggett
explained that saturated fats are the fats that stay solid at room temperature.
They can
commonly be found in dairy products and fatty meats.
These
fats are harder to digest and therefore can form plaque and more easily clog up
your arteries, she told Healthline.
Some
saturated fats are better than others.
The
nutrition experts agreed dairy products have some healthy components than can
help balance out the ill effects of fats.
Katie
Ferraro, M.P.H, R.D., a registered dietitian and assistant clinical professor
of nutrition at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing,
told Healthline that dairy products like whole milk, yogurt, and cheese can
provide you with calcium, protein, and vitamin D.
Kristin
Kirkpatrick, M.S., R.D., L.D., a licensed, registered dietitian who is wellness
manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, told Healthline these
full-fat dairy products also tend to fill you up more quickly.
That can
help you eat less and perhaps even lose a little weight.
The
nutrition experts said butter is preferable to margarine, but it is still one
of the less desirable saturated fats. For starters, there are more than 100
calories per tablespoon.
Diggett
said she recommends that her clients limit saturated fats to 7 percent of their
daily calorie intake.
“The
recent studies are not a license to put butter everywhere,” added Kirkpatrick.
“Butter is not a health food.”
Read
more: New dietary guidelines stress that ‘all choices matter’ »
Moderation and balance
The nutrition
experts stressed that people should focus on their overall diet as well as
foods versus the components of those foods.
“You have
to look at your diet as a whole,” said Kirkpatrick.
Having a
candy bar once a week isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Eating one or two a day
probably isn’t healthy.
Kirkpatrick
noted that what you put butter on also makes a difference. Butter on a sweet
potato is better than butter on a white potato.
Ferraro
echoed that sentiment.
She said
slathering butter on a serving of vegetables counteracts the health benefits of
that dish.
“There
are plenty of ways to ruin good food,” she said.
Ferraro
added lifestyle choices are also important.
If you
don’t exercise, then what you eat can take a bigger and quicker toll.
Eating a
lot at restaurants can also have negative effects.
You may
think you’re making a healthy choice by ordering fish from the menu. But if the
chef douses it with butter, then it might not be the best selection.
“If you
eat at restaurants a lot, then that’s a lifestyle choice,” she said.
David
Mills
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