BBC Science Focus - The Scientific Guide To a Healthier You - 2019

DIET

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In recent years there has been an

ongoing debate about butter,

which has led to consumer

confusion in the supermarket

chilled section. So let’s set

the record straight.

Butter is a saturated fat.

For decades, we have been

advised to reduce

saturated fat in our diets,

based on the argument

that it increases bad

cholesterol in the blood,

which can clog arteries,

causing heart attacks or strokes.

Public Health England advises

people to cut down on saturated f at ,

ba sed on a review of 15 clinical trials.

On the other hand, researchers at the

University of Cambridge presented a study in

2014, published in Annals of Internal Medicine,

reviewing existing published data. The team

stated that there was no significant evidence

regarding a correlation between saturated

BUTTER

There are recognised health benefits to

the white stuff – it’s full of nutrients and

helps build strong bones. But, recently,

proponents have been claiming that

drinking raw milk, rather than pasteurised,

offers even greater benefits. But what’s

the difference? Raw milk comes from

grass-fed cows and is full of nutrients,

including beneficial bacteria like

Lactobacillus acidophilus. This ‘good’

bacteria produces vitamin K2, improves

absorption of nutrients and normalises

gut function. Raw milk contains high levels

of vitamins, enzymes and calcium. But it

can also contain bacteria that cause food

poisoning and can be particularly harmful

to children, people who are unwell and

pregnant women.

Pasteurisation is a process where heat

is applied to milk to destroy harmful

PASTEURISED MILK

bacteria. Unfortunately, it kills the

beneficial ones too. Still, according to a

2015 analysis by Johns Hopkins University,

consumers are 100 times more likely to get

food-borne illnesses from raw milk than

pasteurised. For consumer safety,

European and North American legislation

mandates the pasteurisation of milk and

that is what we buy from shops.

If you want to give raw milk a tr y, you’ll

have to go to specialist outlet s, such a s

farm shops and markets. Unpasteurised

cheeses, like parmesan, are more widely

available because harmful bacteria occur

in such low numbers.

VERDICT: Milk is great for calcium and other

nutrients, but pasteurised is safer. 5

fats and a higher risk for heart disease. Hence the ‘butter is

back’ headlines that were splashed all over the internet. But

those behind the study warned against over-simplification.

They had found that there are different types of saturated fats

with varying compositions that all do different things – some

good, some bad. While some dairy products might turn out to

cut disease risk, that thought wasn’t extended to butter. The

team agreed with butter being linked to bad cholesterol. This

is backed up by a recent study by researcher s from Har vard,

who found that a f ive per cent higher int ake of saturated f at s,

like butter, wa s a ssociated with a 25 per cent increa sed risk of

hear t disea se. This suppor t s current guidelines focusing on

reducing saturated fat intake and replacing butter with oils

high in unsaturated fat. Nevertheless, according to the study

you won’t see any benefits from cutting out saturated fat if you

continue f illing up on ref ined carbs such a s white bread. It ’s

only by eating complex carbs like veget ables and

wholegrains that you can slash your risk.

VERDICT: Stick to olive and sunflower oil for

cooking, and use butter sparingly.

Some

dairy goods

might cut disease

risk, but that

thought does

not include

butter