Incredible Health Benefits of Butter You Need to Know

The benefits of butter are numerous. Although it's fatty and has been blamed for weight gain and other health issues, it can be considered healthy, as long as it’s consumed in moderation. So, if you think butter is unhealthy, think again, and read on to find out some of the most impressive health benefits of butter.

Butter is basically a dairy product that's created from fats and proteins found in cream and milk. It contains 80% of residual milk solids or fat whey and 20% water. While it's mostly made from cow's milk, sheep, buffalo, goat, and yak’s milk can also be used to churn butter.

It has a very rich and creamy flavor and is commonly used as a spread and for baking and cooking as well.

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Nutritional profile

Butter contains several nutrients and is commonly used as a spread or in baking. (Photo via Pexels/Markus Spiske)

One tablespoon of salted butter consists of the following:

Calories – 102

Water – 16%

Cholesterol – 30.5 mg

Total fat- 11.52 grams

-saturated fat – 7.29 grams

-polyunsaturated fat – 0.43 grams

-monosaturated fat – 2.99 grams

Potassium- 3.4 mg

Sodium – 1.6 mg

Protein – 0.12 grams

Sugar – 0.01 grams

Carbs – 0.01 grams

Butter is also a source of certain essential vitamins and minerals. These include calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B12, and vitamin K2.

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What are the health benefits of butter?

There are plenty of benefits to butter, and some of the major ones include the following:

Reduces risk of cancer

Butter has beta-carotene, which is linked with lowering the risk of cancers such as prostate cancer and lung cancer. Beta carotene is an important compound that the body converts into vitamin A.

Improves gastrointestinal function

Butter prevents gut problems. (Photo via Pexels/Sora Shimazaki)

Improving gut health is also among the most potent benefits of butter. Butter contains glycosphingolipids, a type of lipid that helps protect the functioning of intestinal cells and further promotes strong and clean digestion.

Consumption of butter helps promote easy stools, prevents gastrointestinal tract infections, and also reduces chances of irregular bowel syndrome (IBS).

Promotes eye health

Promoting eye health is also one of the best benefits of butter. The beta-carotene in butter helps prevent vision loss and also protects the eyes from age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Boosts immune function

The health benefits of butter include enhancing immune function. Unsaturated fats and antioxidants found in butter are beneficial for eliminating harmful chemicals from the body. They also work as antifungal and antimicrobial agents and help destroy the production of harmful microbes in the body.

Prevents symptoms of STDs

The lauric acid present in butter helps prevent symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including genital warts and HIV/AIDS.

Helps strengthen bones

Butter promotes bone health. (Photo via Pexels/Savvas Stavrinos)

The benefits of butter include strengthening the bones and promoting bone development.

Butter is loaded with vitamin D, which is an important nutrient for bone health. Moreover, it contains calcium, which is another very important nutrient for the proper development of bones. Calcium prevents osteoporosis and other bone diseases that make bones fragile and weak.

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Potential risks

While there are many benefits to butter, you must not forget that it's high in calories and saturated fat.

If consumed in moderation, butter has a few adverse effects, but excessive consumption can lead to weight gain and heart disease in the future. Also, butter should be avoided if you have a heart disease or are planning to start a calorie deficit diet.