Why Butter is Better!
Butter has been my most common prescription for the past few weeks. Obviously the initial reaction I get is quite entertaining usually. Even more fun is when they ask how much and I say to eat one-half of a cube or 4 tablespoons a day. (it varies per person)
But it may not be so surprising if you knew that butter is really a great food for your health!
- Palmitic acid is the most common fatty acid found in animals, plants and microorganisms. Butter is made of approximately 15% palmitic acid.
- Palmitic acid makes up 68% of the fat protecting your lungs (surfactant)
- Butter is rich in Vitamin A and is readily absorbed because the fats are needed to integrate Vitamin A into the body. 1 TBSP provides almost 7% of your daily value.
- Vitamin A is required for proper immune function, andrenal health and thyroid health.
- It is also a great source for Vitamins E and Vitamin K, which require fats to be properly absorbed
- Butter contains lauric acid, which can help fight off stubborn candida and fungal infections. I often find patients with fungal infections benefit from butter in addition to an antimicrobial
- Butter has more selenium per gram than whole wheat or garlic. Selenium is necessary for immune and thyroid health.
- Butter contains Arachadonic Acid which is important in the role of brain function and nervous system development.
- Butter is protective agains gastrointestinal infections.
Butter and Fertility
Fats are essential for the health of newborns for nutrition, brain development, bone growth and tooth health. The body is well aware of when you are capable of providing these nutrients to a growing baby. If you are trying to get pregnant, it is important to note that the body is well aware of your nutrient status and to a large degree will not allow you to conceive if you are lacking.
In some cultures, women were required to be on high dairy or high dairy fat diets for one year prior to attempting to conceive.
Quality
Butter quality does matter. Ideally you could get grass-fed raw butter from a local farmer who you know personally that raises and treats his cows properly. But, in todays world that is unlikely, so the next best option is a grass-fed butter that is pasteurized like Kalona or Kerry Gold butter in my opinion. After that, any grass-fed organic butter is best and if you still can’t get that, then organic butter is a good start and isn’t very expensive.
Margarine and Canola Oil
If you are currently using margarine or canola oil, the time to stop was yesterday. These oils wreak serious havoc on your health. They promote inflammation, cause nagging symptoms and throw off hormones and energy.
Margarine and Canola oil contain trans fats that are created due to the way the oils are processed. These trans fats change how cells interact with their environment and change the shape of the cell. These oils can be detrimental to health due to the fact that they can take hundreds of days to leave your body. (For you science geeks, their half-life is around 51 days) So get rid of these oils today!
Am I Going To Get Fat?
Fat doesn’t make you fat. I won’t get into the weight aspect too much, but if you are consuming larger amounts of fat, you will then hopefully be consuming a lower carbohydrate load, which normally produces a net weight loss result. In addition, if you look at the nutrients above, fat is highly supportive of the thyroid gland and optimal thyroid metabolism is critical for weight maintenance and weight loss.
Eat Butter!
Overall combined with a healthy diet, butter could almost be considered a “superfood”. It not only tastes great but provides the necessary nutrients and minerals for health. In a healthy individual it is a great anti-inflammatory food that should be consumed regularly.