We have all been trained by modern society to believe that saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for the body. Studies have shown that both saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet actually help reduce inflammation and prevent heart disease. Grass-fed butter has incredible health benefits and should be used as a staple part of our diet.
Heart Disease was considered a very rare disease in the early 20th century. However, as food
processing began to take off, so did the occurrence of heart disease. By the 1950′s, it was considered a major health threat. Today, despite trillions of dollars of research and the best medical equipment available, the American Heart Association said in 2012 that Americans have a greater than 50% chance of developing heart disease during the course of their lives.
The Current “Butter Is Bad Theory”
Developed by Ancel Keys in the 1950′s, this theory states that there is a direct relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and the incidence of coronary heart disease. With questionable evidence, Keys’ went about writing articles and promoting this hypothesis throughout the medical world.
Meanwhile, hundreds of subsequent studies testing this hypothesis have found differing conclusions. Despite the lack of evidence, this notion took off throughout the healthcare world and was fueled by the vegetable oil and food processing industries that sought to benefit from this finding.
The French paradox
There’s an old, funny anecdote in France. A great chef was on his deathbed–he was renowned for his cooking throughout the entire country. As his friends and family gathered around, someone asked him the secret to his great cooking. He replied, “Buerre, buerre, buerre, plus buerre.” (Butter, butter, butter, more butter.)
And it’s true. The French eat LOADS of butter. It’s a mainstay of their famous sauces. But somehow, where deaths from heart disease are 78 per 100,000 people in the U.S., France is the second-lowest country in terms of deaths from heart disease (only bested by South Korea) at 30 deaths per 100,000 people. And where the U.S. is the sixth fattest country in the developed world, France is number 31.
But… but… they eat all that butter!
Saturated Fat’s Extraordinary Health Benefits
Butter has been vilified due to its high content of saturated fat and cholesterol. It contains roughly 63% saturated fat and 31 mg of cholesterol in a tbsp. While most in society are still trained to believe this is bad for the body, studies show the opposite.
Dietary saturated fat and cholesterol have been shown to improve hormone regulation and cell membrane function. They have also been shown to:
Raise HDL Levels – the good protective lipoprotein (or cholesterol for the layperson).
Change LDL Particles – From the dangerous small dense particles to the benign, large buoyant particles.
Grass-Fed Butter Holds Profound Anti-Inflammatory Benefits Controlling inflammation is the key to good health and disease prevention. Because fatty acids make up the outer layer of every cell in our body and they are the precursors to the formation of major sex hormones, they have a very critical role in cell signaling and controlling inflammation. A diet rich in omega 6 fats and low in omega 3 fats have been shown to promote inflammation and hormonal alterations. A diet with an ideal omega 6:3 ratio (around 2:1 or 1:1) seems to be the best way to reduce cellular inflammation.
Grass-fed butter contains the ideal ratio of omega 6: omega 3 fatty acids, which is especially important for optimizing cell membrane function and reducing inflammation. Grain-fed butter has a high omega 6:3 ratio which will promote inflammatory conditions in the body. Grass-fed butter also has significantly more anti-inflammatory anti-oxidants than grain-fed butter.
Grass-Fed Butter & CLA
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a long-chain fatty acid that has significant health benefits. Meat and dairy products from grass-fed animals can produce 300-500% more CLA than those of cattle fed the usual diet of hay and grains.
One of the most powerful attributes of CLA is its ability to suppress inflammatory prostaglandins such as PGE2. Blocking this substance reduces inflammation in the joints, muscles, bones, organs, and brain. This allows for a stronger and healthier brain and body. Chicks and rats fed CLA-rich butterfat had significantly greater bone growth than animals fed other fats.
CLA has a powerful effect on enhancing cellular insulin sensitivity & stabilizing blood sugar. In fact, researchers say it mimics the effect of synthetic diabetic drugs without any negative side effects.
Testing has shown that consuming CLA for longer than 8 weeks has a significant effect on circulating insulin and blood glucose. Additionally, CLA speeds up metabolism and increases the process of fat breakdown. Many researchers have hypothesized that a lack of CLA in the modern diet is a significant factor in the obesity, heart disease & cancer epidemic.