New research reveals that higher butter consumption is associated with increased cancer and total mortality, while plant-based oils like olive, soybean, and canola reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer-related deaths.
Study: Butter and Plant-Based Oils Intake and Mortality. Image Credit: vectorfusionart / Shutterstock.com
A recent JAMA Internal Medicine study compares how the consumption of butter or plant-based oil impacts total and cause-specific mortality.
Dietary fat and mortality risk
Although the consumption of butter, which is rich in saturated fats, has been associated with adverse health outcomes, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, recent studies examining the potential mortality risk attributed to butter consumption have produced mixed results.
Plant-based oils including olive, canola, and soybean oils are rich in unsaturated fats and have been seen associated with reduced inflammation and improved lipid profiles. To date, few studies have examined the effects of plant-based oils on disease and mortality risk; thus, there remains a need for comprehensive studies that examine these potential associations and control for food choices.
About the study
Data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1990-2023), Nurses’ Health Study (1990-2023), and Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2023) were used for the current analysis. Individuals who were not diagnosed with CVD, cancer, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and neurodegenerative disease at baseline were included in the study.
The primary exposures included the consumption of plant-based oils including olive, safflower, soybean, canola, and corn oils, and butter either added at the table or while cooking. Study participants completed semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) every four years, which provided details on the frequency and quantity of specific foods they were consuming, as well as the types of fats and oils.
The primary outcome of interest was total mortality, whereas secondary outcomes included mortality from CVD and cancer.
Age-stratified Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied to compare individuals in higher intake categories to those in the lowest category of plant-based oil and butter intake. These models were adjusted for confounding factors like race and ethnicity, alcohol intake, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, and physical activity level.
Study findings
Among 221,054 United States adults during up to 33 years of follow-up, 50,932 deaths were documented. A total of 12,241 deaths were due to cancer, whereas 11,240 were due to CVD.
Individuals with greater total butter consumption reported higher BMI and energy intake. These individuals were also more likely to currently smoke but less likely to be physically active and use multivitamins.
Higher total energy intake and alcohol consumption were observed in individuals with higher total plant-based oil intake. These study participants were also more likely to be physically active.
Individuals with the highest butter consumption reported 15% higher total mortality as compared to those with the lowest intake after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Individuals who consumed plant-based oils were at a 16% reduced risk of mortality as compared to individuals who consumed the least amount of plant-based oils. A higher intake of plant oil, except for olive oil, was also associated with an 8% lower total mortality.
Total mortality increased by 4% for each 5 g/day increment of butter added to food or bread.
For canola, soybean, and olive oils, a statistically significant association between higher consumption and lower total mortality was observed. No statistically significant associations were observed between corn and safflower oils. These results were consistent across subgroups defined by BMI, age, and lifestyle factors.
An 11% and 6% reduced risk of cancer and CVD mortality was observed for every 10 g/day increase in total plant-based oil consumption. Higher butter intake was not significantly associated with CVD mortality; however, high levels of butter consumption increased the risk of cancer mortality. Olive, soybean, and canola oil consumption was inversely related to both CVD and cancer mortality.
Reducing the consumption of butter by 10 g/day and replacing it with an equivalent amount of plant-based oil led to a 17% reduction in total mortality, as well as a 6% and 17% reduction in CVD and cancer mortality, respectively.
Conclusions
Increased butter consumption of butter was associated with a greater risk of both cancer and total mortality. Comparatively, higher consumption of plant-based oils was associated with lower CVD, cancer, and total mortality.
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.”
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