Butter linked to higher death risk; plant-based oils may boost health

The study identified a significantly lower risk of premature death among people who ate a lot of plant-based oils over three decades, Euronews reported. (Pexels Photo)

By AZERTAC, Philippine News Agency

BAKU – A new study suggests that replacing butter with plant-based oils could significantly improve health and reduce the risk of early death.

According to Euronews, the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, tracked the diets and health outcomes of around 221,000 middle-aged and older adults in the US over 33 years.

The study identified a significantly lower risk of premature death among people who ate a lot of plant-based oils over three decades, Euronews reported.

Findings revealed that individuals who consumed the most butter had a 15 percent higher risk of death, while those who consumed the most plant-based oils had a 16 percent lower mortality risk. Swapping butter for plant-based oils was associated with a 17 percent lower risk of death.

Lead author Yu Zhang, a research assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, called the impact on health “huge.”

The study highlighted olive oil, soybean oil, and canola oil as beneficial, reducing risks of death from cancer and heart disease. However, corn and safflower oils showed no significant health benefits, and palm and coconut oils were not analyzed due to their high saturated fat content.

Though wellness influencers criticize seed oils, experts argue these claims are unfounded.

Despite study limitations, nutrition professor Tom Sanders affirmed that unsaturated vegetable oils are a healthier choice over butter.