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Higher Intake of Butter Linked to Increased Mortality

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 7, 2025.

FRIDAY, March 7, 2025 -- Higher intake of butter is associated with increased mortality, according to a study published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine to coincide with the American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2025 Scientific Sessions, held from March 6 to 9 in New Orleans.

Yu Zhang, M.B.B.S., from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues examined the associations of butter and plant-based oil intakes with the risk for total and cause-specific mortality among U.S. adults in a prospective population-based cohort study using data from the Nurses' Health Study, the Nurses' Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

There were 50,932 deaths documented during up to 33 years of follow-up among 221,054 adults: 12,241 and 11,240 were due to cancer and cardiovascular disease, respectively. The researchers found that compared with the lowest intake, the highest butter intake was associated with a significantly increased risk for total mortality after adjustment for potential confounders (hazard ratio, 1.15). In contrast, the highest versus the lowest intake of total plant-based oils was associated with significantly lower mortality (hazard ratio, 0.84). A significant association was seen between higher intakes of canola, soybean, and olive oils with lower total mortality, with hazard ratios of 0.85, 0.94, and 0.92 per 5-g/day increment, respectively. Substituting 10-g/day intake of total butter with an equivalent amount of plant-based oils was associated with significant reductions in total mortality and cancer mortality (hazard ratios, 0.83 for both).

"These results support current dietary recommendations to replace animal fats like butter with nonhydrogenated vegetable oils that are high in unsaturated fats, especially olive, soy, and canola oil," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted March 2025

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