First, let’s talk about the saturated fat in butter. In fact, butter was once considered unhealthy because it contains a lot of saturated fat. Many experts at the time believed that foods high in saturated fat increased the risk of heart disease, and they blamed butter, meat, and eggs for this.
However, scientists now believe this is not the case. They believe that natural foods, including butter, are not the direct cause of heart disease.
The saturated fat in butter isn’t that alarming.
In fact, most milk fat is saturated fat, while other animal fats, such as lard, contain a lot of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Butter, being a type of milk fat, contains a lot of saturated fat. In fact, 63% of butter is saturated fatty acids.
However, scientists believe this doesn’t harm the heart. On the contrary, many studies have shown that naturally occurring saturated fat can help increase good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood, thereby helping to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Furthermore, many scientists believe that naturally occurring saturated fats help enlarge smaller, harmful cholesterol (LDL), rendering it harmless and thus helping to reduce the risk of heart disease.
While scientists believe that cream, which is high in saturated fat, should not be avoided and contains many nutrients, excessive consumption is certainly not a good thing. Excessive consumption of any food is not good; it should be consumed in moderation.
Cream contains anti-inflammatory compounds.
For decades, many believed that the primary cause of heart disease was high cholesterol. However, recent research has shown that heart disease can be caused by many factors, one of which is inflammation. Therefore, heart disease is also considered a chronic inflammatory disease.
While inflammation is a vital, normal response to injury or infection that helps the body recover, prolonged or severe inflammation can cause serious damage.
Cream contains a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate, which scientists believe helps the body fight inflammation and therefore may help prevent heart disease.
Why is grass-fed cream considered healthier than conventional cream?
The nutritional composition of dairy products like butter is actually related to the cow’s diet. Grass-fed cattle are typically raised in a free-range environment, allowing them to freely graze on grass.
While grass is a natural diet for cows, non-free-range cattle typically only consume grain-based feeds like soy and corn.
Thus, grass-fed butter is considered more natural and contains more nutrients, including vitamin K2 and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are beneficial for the heart.
Although many people are less familiar with vitamin K2, it is a crucial nutrient that helps maintain heart and bone health. It is also the type of vitamin K found in animal foods.
The type found in plant foods is vitamin K1.
While these two forms of vitamin K have similar compositions, they have different functions in the body. Vitamin K1 is believed to help prevent or improve blood clots, while vitamin K2 is believed to strengthen and repair bones and help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Grass-fed butter is one of the good sources of vitamin K2. Other foods rich in vitamin K2 include egg yolks, natto, etc.
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