That creamy spread known as butter was enjoyed for decades, but fell out of favor  when it was thought that its high levels of saturated fat was linked to an increased risk of heart disease. ☺ Today, it’s been determined that butter, especially from grass-fed cows  is a good source of the fat-soluble vitamins; A, E and K2 (healthy skin and vision).   “Saturated fats raise HDL (good) cholesterol and change the small LDL (bad) from dense) to large LDL which is benign.”

There are many cousins to butter and which is good can often be confusing. Here’s what’s nutritionally beneficial and what’s not so much: 

  Ghee: is clarified butter (milk solids are removed) that is cooked longer and has a higher percentage of butterfat.  Ghee is beneficial to those who have difficulty absorbing the fat-soluble vitamins of A, E, and K due to Chrohn’s disease or leaky gut syndrome.   Ghee contains Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA); a fatty acid that helps reduce body fat, prevents internal inflammation which can lead to cancer, and reduce blood pressure. Ghee like butter also has Butyric Acid which helps maintain healthy insulin levels and reduces inflammation.   

  Margarine: a product that was originally made in a lab as a cheaper alternative to butter was thought to be good until its trans-fat was discovered to be even worse for causing heart disease by raising levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowering HDL (good) cholesterol. 

Nut butters are nuts such as almonds, peanuts or pecans that are roasted and then ground in a blender to form the consistency of butter.  Some recipes include sea salt, cinnamon or vanilla extract, but for the most part nut butters are purely nuts! These butters are dairy and gluten free, and a healthy source of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. They can help with weight loss, fight off cancer, lower heart disease and prevent diabetes. 

Nut Butter Guide: serving size is 2 tablespoons. Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

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Sources: Healthline