Diets that severely restrict carbohydrate intake tend to have higher fat intake. It is especially preferred to consume butter. A 2018 study in the Indian Journal of Medical Research found that participants on a standard keto diet required 70% of their calorie intake from fat, 20% from protein, and 10% from carbohydrates.
IS IT BENEFICIAL TO HEALTH?
Some research shows that high-fat, low-carb diets may be beneficial for metabolic health. A 2017 study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism proved that this dietary approach shows promise not only for an improvement in metabolic health, but also for short-term weight loss. While high-fat, low-carb diets are a viable avenue for health and weight management, the question remains whether eating too much fat, especially in the form of butter, is detrimental to our health.
IS BUTTER USEFUL?
Butter is a saturated fat, and too much saturated fat can cause your arteries to clog with cholesterol and raise LDL cholesterol levels (that’s what’s bad), according to Medline Plus. The higher your LDL levels, the more at risk you are for conditions like heart attack and stroke.
What is interesting, however, is that while butter can raise LDL levels, a 2015 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that it also increases HDL cholesterol levels (the good one). According to the Mayo Clinic, HDL cholesterol is responsible for removing bad cholesterol from the bloodstream. However, the effect of butter on the heart is reduced when it comes to cholesterol.