Butter and Plant-Based Oils Intake and Mortality

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Health
• Oncology

Background:

• The association between dietary fats, specifically butter and plant-based oils, and mortality risk requires further clarification due to inconsistent findings in prior research.
• Longitudinal studies are essential for understanding the long-term impact of dietary fat consumption on mortality outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between the consumption of butter and various plant-based oils and the risk of all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a large cohort of US adults.
• To determine if substituting butter with plant-based oils impacts mortality risk.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 221,054 adults from the Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
• Dietary intake, including butter and specific plant-based oils (safflower, soybean, corn, canola, olive), was assessed every four years using validated food frequency questionnaires.
• Mortality data, including cause of death, were collected through the National Death Index and other sources over a follow-up period of up to 33 years.

Main Results:

• Higher butter consumption was associated with a 15% increased risk of total mortality (HR, 1.15) and higher cancer mortality (HR, 1.12).
• Higher intake of total plant-based oils was linked to a 16% reduced risk of total mortality (HR, 0.84). Specific oils like canola, soybean, and olive oil showed significant associations with lower total mortality.
• Substituting 10g/day of butter with plant-based oils was associated with a 17% reduction in total mortality (HR, 0.83) and a 17% reduction in cancer mortality (HR, 0.83).

Conclusions:

• Increased consumption of butter is associated with elevated risks of total and cancer mortality.
• Higher intake of plant-based oils, particularly canola, soybean, and olive oil, is associated with reduced total, cancer, and CVD mortality.
• Replacing butter with plant-based oils in the diet may offer significant protective benefits against premature death.