A new study has called into question the claims that seed oils cause inflammation and a whole host of health problems
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A nutrition scientists has a stark message for the 'butter bros and anti-seed oil brigade'
(Image: PA )
A nutrition expert has called out 'nutri-nonsense' claims that seed oils, like corn and sunflower oil, are deadly. It comes as a new study reveals butter could actually be more detrimental to our health than plant-based oils.
The new large-scale and long-term research found that people who eat butter don't live as long as those who opt for certain cooking oils. Swapping butter for oils like corn, rapeseed or olive oil, could slash the risk of deadly diseases like cancer and heart disease, the study suggests.
The study, which looked at health records of 200,000 people across more than 30 years, found that swapping just 10g of butter a day with an equivalent amount of oil could cut the risk of death by 17 per cent.
After adjusting for factors like lifestyle and diet, the data revealed that people with the highest butter consumption had a 15 per cent higher risk of dying, with heart disease and cancer being the leading causes of death noted in the study.
Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London, said: “This is an important study that shows that people who chose to eat butter don’t live as long as those who choose to eat vegetable oils. Butter is high in saturated fat, contains some trans fatty acids but is very low in polyunsaturated fats.
“Whereas unhydrogenated soybean, canola and olive oils are low in saturated fatty acids but high in unsaturated fats. The take-home message is that it is healthier to choose unsaturated vegetable oils rather than butter."
Blocks of butter and knife
A new study has warned that butter could have harmful effects on our health
Sanders highlights the negative publicity surrounding vegetable oils, particularly amongst influencers on social media. Responding to the study, Professor Sarah Berry, Professor of Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London said the research is "very timely".
Prof Berry said: “The study shows that high butter consumption is linked to increased cancer and total mortality, whereas plant-based oils are linked to a lower risk of overall mortality and death due to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
“This research is very timely. Social media is currently awash with influencers promoting butter as a health food and claiming that seed oils are deadly. This large-scale, long-term study finds the reverse. The authors produce further evidence that seed oil consumption is linked to improved health and that butter – delicious as it is – should only be consumed once in a while.
“In a sane world, this study would give the butter bros and anti-seed oil brigade pause for thought, but I’m confident that their brand of nutri-nonsense will continue unabated.”
Bottle pouring virgin olive oil in a bowl close up
The study suggests that monounsaturated fats like olive oil could be healthier than corn and sunflower oils
Importantly, the study focussed on olive, canola and soybean oils, which experts say are monounsaturated, whereas corn and sunflower oils are polyunsaturated.
"The researchers suggests that these are more beneficial than the polyunsaturated fats, and refer to the Mediterranean diet, which is higher in monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, for that reason," said Professor Parveen Yaqoob, professor of nutritional science at the University of Reading.
"While many Western diets shifted away from saturated fat to polyunsaturated fat in the 1970s, the oils that we consume more often now contain more monounsaturates, which seem to be more beneficial.
"Given that there are some plant-based oils that are high in saturates – such as palm oil and coconut oil – it is important to consider them separately," Prof Yaqoob added.
The study was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.