Higher, long-term butter consumption is linked with increased total and cancer mortality, whereas plant-based oils may offer protective benefits, according to a prospective study of more than 200,000 adults.
These findings suggest that choosing plant-based oils over butter could help prevent premature deaths, lead author Yu Zhang, MBBS, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues, reported.
“It is well established that substituting saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids and eliminating trans fatty acids confers substantial health benefits, particularly in the prevention of cardiovascular disease,” the investigators write in JAMA Internal Medicine. “However, major food sources of fatty acids contain a mix of fats, and dietary choices are typically based on whole foods rather than…