What They NEVER Want You To Find Out About Real Butter

By Brian St. Pierre, CSCS, CISSN
If you want to talk about much-maligned foods, butter is right up there at the top of the list. Health authorities have been telling us for years that foods like butter, rich in saturated fat, are clogging our arteries and causing heart disease. So they told us to replace them with trans-fat laden margarine, and how did that turn out? Then came polyunsaturated vegetable oils, and new research is linking these omega-6 rich fats to all sorts of health problems, including potentially increased risk of cancer.

The real question is, was there ever a problem with butter in the first place? The answer just might surprise you.

There is actually a good amount of research, in several populations, that shows that full-fat dairy consumption is associated with lower BMI, lower waist circumference, and lower risk of cardiovascular disease (especially stroke).  Low-fat or fat-free dairy is actually often associated with increased BMI and waist circumference.

In fact, Dr. Ronald Krauss, one the world’s leading lipid researchers, directly showed that while saturated fat from dairy does raise LDL, it is an increase in large, fluffy, and benign LDL – not the small, dense, and atherogenic LDL. This actually decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease!

Now there is a clear difference between butter and dairy from grain and corn fed cows on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations that are milked nearly year-round, given growth hormones and antiobiotics, and live in their own waste, compared to cows on small farms that eat grass, get exercise, fresh air and sunshine, and are only milked based on their seasonal reproductive cycle. The quality of life and, therefore, quality of milk and dairy products is vastly different.

Butter from grass-fed cows contains a boatload of powerful vitamins and healthful fatty acids.  These vitamins are fat-soluble and they are bonded to the fatty acids in the dairy, and are, therefore, nearly non-existent in fat-free dairy.  The fat is where vitamins A, D, E, and K2 are, as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), butyric acid, omega-3 fatty acids, and medium chain triglycerides.

CLA is present in human body fat in proportion to dietary intake, and has been shown to be a powerful ally in the fight against cancer.  Meat and dairy from grass-fed animals provide the richest source of CLA on the planet, containing three to five times more CLA than feedlot-raised animals.  CLA has been found to greatly reduce tumor growth in animals, and possibly in humans as well.

In a Finnish study, women who had the highest levels of CLA in their diet had a 60% lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest levels.  Simply switching from conventionally-raised grain-fed meat and dairy to pasture-raised grass-fed versions, would have placed all the women in the lowest-risk category. A good grass-fed butter will contain about 110mg of CLA per tbsp.

Vitamin D is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread and any time you can get some from food is always a good thing.  Low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with lowered immunity, increased risk of 17 cancers and counting, increased risk of heart disease, psychological and neurological disorders including ADD and depression, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, bone loss, loss of muscle mass, and strength as we age and more.

Omega-3s are absolutely amazing, as they may improve nerve, brain, eye, heart, and cardiovascular function, as well as decreasing inflammation, joint pain, arthritis, psychological disorders, and risk of breast cancer and heart disease, all while improving mood and body composition!  Unfortunately grain-fed butter contains only about 40mg, but a good grass-fed butter will contain about 120mg per tbsp!

Medium chain triglycerides are unique fatty acids that are more readily utilized as fuel rather than stored as energy. Particular ones like lauric acid contain anti-viral and anti-microbial properties.  Vitamins A and E are powerful antioxidants.  Butyric acid may help with bodyweight regulation, and is a primary fuel source for our intestinal flora.

Notice that I didn’t mention vitamin K2 yet?  That is because I was saving what might be the best for last.  Several studies have found that a higher vitamin K2 (mostly from vitamin K2-MK4) intake is associated with a lower risk of heart attack, ischemic stroke, cancer incidence, cancer mortality and overall mortality.  Men with the highest vitamin K2 consumption had a 51% lower risk of heart attack mortality and a 26% lower risk of all cause mortality compared to men consuming the lowest amount!

One of the ways vitamin K2 improves cardiovascular health is its ability to decrease arterial calcification by 30-40%.  And, this only speaks to vitamin K2’s effects of cardiovascular health; it is also crucially important for proper fetal development and bone health, to name a few additional benefits.

Vitamin K2-MK4 is only found in animal products and the best known sources are grass-fed butter and foie gras (fatty goose liver).

Butter Might Prevent Diabetes?

Yes, it is true. Recently Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and colleagues at Harvard found that blood content of trans-palmitoleate was associated with a smaller waist circumference, higher HDL cholesterol, lower serum triglycerides, lower C-reactive protein, lower fasting insulin, and lower calculated insulin resistance.

In fact, people with the highest trans-palmitoleate levels had one-third the risk of developing diabetes over the three years of the study!

Want to know what the dietary sources of trans-palmitoleate are? Dairy fat and red meat are virtually the only sources of this fatty acid. In this study, most of the trans-palmitoleate came specifically from dairy fat.

Conclusion

Well, it seems that consuming butter from grass-fed cows will make your LDL larger, fluffier, and less likely to cause heart disease. It will also provide you with cancer-fighting CLA, as well as artery-clearing vitamin K2-MK4. To top it all off, it might also decrease your risk of diabetes. Sounds like a pretty good food to me!

Super foods, which are foods that possess powerful health benefits, are all around us.
Many different fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidant power, and some studies suggest, could increase your total serum antioxidant levels.

There are six powerful superfoods, which are not found in your grocery store, that can exceed the antioxidant power of your common everyday fruit and vegetables.

In fact, you would need to consume a large volume of fruits and vegetables to equal the antioxidant power of some of these unique superfoods.

Here are six Powerful superfoods for you to enjoy:

CoffeeBerry®

CoffeeBerry® gets its incredible antioxidant health power because the berry is grown in the South American regions where the sun’s rays are most powerful.

CoffeeBerry® produces powerful antioxidants in order to protect itself from the sun’s power.

One research study showed participants who took Coffeeberry® improved recovery from intense exercise compared to those taking a placebo.

The Coffeeberry® extract increased blood levels of Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), while decreasing blood lactate (a common marker for muscle fatigue), and increased their Heart Rate Recovery Index.

Recently, studies with 100 mg of Coffeeberry® extract given to humans have also shown promising benefits for health promotion.

It appears that just 100 mg of Coffeeberry® is enough to see beneficial effects from this berry’s antioxidant content.

Acai Berry

Scientists and researchers call Acai a miracle nutrient, due to the health and healing benefits it can provide.

Plus, research shows, Acai berry could potentially slow the aging process – in your body as well as in your brain

Acai berry also contains powerful nutrients, called Anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea, research suggests, could have the ability to block deformed growth (mutation) of cells, and can also reduce cell damage.

It does so by blocking potential chemical reactions that create free radicals in your body.

Green tea has also been proven by research to prevent, and possibly reverse, the clogging of veins and arteries which transport blood and nutrients to and from your heart.

In fact, a research study of more than 3,000 people found that the more tea consumed, the less the veins and arteries were blocked.

Nutrients found in green tea, could also act as vasodilators, which means they could improve the flexibility of blood vessels, which could prevent future complications due to clogging or platelet accumulation.

Other potential health benefits of green tea could include less joint pain, lower cholesterol levels, reduced tooth decay, and could also prevent gum disease.

Plus, research suggests, green tea could improve your memory, fight allergies in your body, fight off infections, and prevent aging of the skin which could lead to wrinkles.

Pomegranate Extract

Pomegranates are a low calorie, fat free, and cholesterol-free food.

Found in warmer climates, pomegranates contain many beneficial vitamins and minerals which are necessary for optimal health.

One serving of pomegranates (100 grams) could contain the same amount of calories as a small apple.

Plus, they contain high levels of soluble and insoluble fiber, which will keep your digestive system in check.

However, the most important nutrlent found in pomegranates would have to be Punicalagin.

Punicalagin is a water soluble nutrient which improves its availability, and it acts as a powerful antioxidant in your body.

Punicalagin, some studies suggest, could have the potential to decrease the oxidation of LDLs, potentially leading to a reduction in macrophages and foam cells.

Also, punicalagin could be a main driving force behind reducing oxidative stress caused by free radical damage.

Wolfberry Extract

The Wolfberry, commonly referred to as the Goji berry, is a plant native to the mountains of China.

The wolfberry contains many different nutrients, which could make it one of the most antioxidant-rich foods around.

It contains essential and trace minerals, like calcium, potassium, and iron, that provide your body with the minerals it needs for optimal health.

It also contains vitamins and amino acids, necessary for proper cell function and growth.

The wolfberry also contains polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that some studies suggest can reduce internal inflammation caused by free radical damage.

The most important nutrient contained in the wolfberry would be the carotenoid zeaxanthin.

Zeaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant, which has been shown to reduce damage caused by oxidative stress, like exposure to smoke and in people with poor nutrition.

Biovin™ Grape extract

Grape and wine proanthocyanidins (a type of polyphenol in grapes) protect heart health by raising HDL cholesterol, decreasing plaque formation due to LDL cholesterol build-up, and relaxes the walls of your arteries and blood vessels.

Recently, Spanish researchers investigated the effects of grape seed extract polyphenols on Metabolic Syndrome. What they showed is that grape seed extract helped inhibit the effects of a processed food, high fat diet on the development of fatty liver, dyslipidemia and body fat gain.

These findings support other research showing that grape seed extract helps people achieve a healthy blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) profile, in addition to reducing inflammation and helping to control high blood pressure.