30/09/2025
Somehow in 2025 we’re still out here calling butter a “superfood.” 🤦♂️
The butter literature shows neutral to slightly higher all-cause mortality and no protective effect for CVD. (PMID: 27355649)
Butter is concentrated saturated fat, which reliably raises LDL-C in controlled feeding trials. (PMID: 12716665)
And LDL-C isn’t just a marker — it’s a causal driver of atherosclerotic CVD. (PMID: 28444290)
Not only is LDL causative, you can LITERALLY draw a straight line through lifetime exposure to LDL and the probability of a cardiovascular event! The more LDL you are exposed to, the greater the risk of a CVD event and CVD death(PMID: 23083789)
When you replace SFA with PUFA, CHD events drop in RCTs (~19% in meta-analysis). (PMID: 20351774)
A Cochrane review of long-term trials found fewer combined CVD events when people cut saturated fat (often replacing it with PUFA or carbs). (PMID: 32827219)
RCTs also show butter raises LDL more than cheese (food-matrix effect). (PMIDs: 28251937, 22030228)
Butter can fit in a balanced diet — but calling it a health food is a stretch. If your goal is heart health: lean toward unsaturated fats, fiber, plants, and adequate protein. 🫀
