The Butter Myth
Butter has had bad press since the 1970’s and studies show that reducing healthy sources of dietary fat has contributed to a serious decline in our well-being. Butter is a completely natural food – especially when you eat organic. Margarine, however, is a processed food, chemically created from refined polyunsaturated oils. These liquid oils are then made into spread-able form through the process of hydrogenation which produces trans-fatty acids Margarine and similar hydrogenated or processed polyunsaturated oils are potentially more detrimental to your health than any saturated fat. Fats contain essential fatty acid (Omega-6 & Omega-3) that our bodies cannot make. Most of the oils found in margarines are made from “refined oils” where the fatty acids have been removed to increase shelf life.
Include Real Butter
Including a variety of healthy oils and fats into your diet will work to supply your body with essential fatty acids for longevity, hormone balance, heart health, sharp vision, glowing moist skin and energy. The wonderful variety of oils and fats certainly includes organic, preferably raw butter as the pasteurisation process destroys nutrients.
The Benefits of Butter
1. Butter is rich in the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.
2. Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
3. Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
4. Contains anti-oxidants that protect against weakening arteries & free radical damage.
5. Is a great source of Vitamins D E, K and the mineral selenium.
6. Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.
7. Is our only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against calcification of the joints.
8. Is a source of Activator X, which helps your body absorb minerals.
9. Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.
10. Cholesterol found in butterfat is essential to children’s brain and nervous system development.
11. Contains Arachidonic Acid which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.
12. Protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly. You may be interested in a list of the ingredients that may be present in butter and margarine:
| Butter: milk fat (cream),
a little salt, |
Margarine: Edible oils,
edible fats, salt or potassium chloride, ascorbyl palmitate, butylated hydroxyanisole, phospholipids, tert-butylhydroquinone, mono- and di-glycerides of fat-forming fatty acids, disodium guanylate, diacetyltartaric and fatty acid esters of glycerol, Propyl, octyl or dodecyl gallate (or mixtures thereof), tocopherols, propylene glycol mono- and di-esters, sucrose esters of fatty acids, curcumin, annatto extracts, tartaric acid, 3,5,trimethylhexanal, ß-apo-carotenoic acid methyl or ethyl ester, skim milk powder, xanthophylls, canthaxanthin, vitamins A and D. |
Sources: http://bodyecology.com/articles/benefits_of_real_butter.php#.UEkB30LA705 http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fats_and_cancer.html
