A new study has found that eating butter can increase your risk of death, while consuming plant oils can actually help you live longer – and it’s all to do with the fat content

Butter enthusiasts may want to reconsider their spread of choice, as a new study suggests that consuming more butter could increase your risk of death. However, the research also identified healthier alternatives for your morning toast that could potentially extend your lifespan.

The Harvard study found that those who consumed more butter had a higher mortality risk, while those who opted for plant-based oils had a lower risk. Participants were divided into groups based on their reported butter and plant oil consumption, and their mortality rates were compared over a span of up to 33 years.

Those who consumed the most butter had a 15 per cent higher risk of death compared to those who consumed the least. On the other hand, those who consumed the most plant oils had a 16 per cent lower risk of death compared to those who consumed the least.

Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study also discovered that a higher intake of butter increased the risk of cancer-related deaths, while a higher intake of plant oils reduced the risk of dying from cancer or cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack. Olive, soybean, and canola oil were among the plant oils associated with survival benefits, reports Surrey Live.

Dr Walter C. Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T H. Chan School of Public Health and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, warned about the health risks associated with butter.

He told Harvard Health: “Butter has almost no essential fatty acids and a modest amount of trans fat – the worst type of fat for cardiovascular disease.”

In contrast, plant oils are rich in antioxidants and unsaturated fats. Dr Willett advised, “A little butter occasionally for its flavour would not be a problem,” but he recommended using liquid plant oils instead of butter for cooking and at the table for better health.

Butter is known to be high in saturated fats, which can elevate cholesterol levels and heighten the risk of heart disease and stroke. The NHS cautions that most people in the UK consume too much saturated fat and suggests that men should limit their intake to no more than 30g per day, while women should not exceed 20g. Children should have even less.

The American Heart Association advises that less than 6 per cent of your total daily calories should come from saturated fat. For example, if you consume about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should be from saturated fat.

Other foods that are high in saturated fat include fatty cuts of meat, sausages and pies, ghee and lard, cheese, cream, ice cream, chocolate, biscuits, cake, pastries, and some savoury snacks like certain popcorns and cheese crackers.