They’re Coming for Butter Again… (Here’s the TRUTH)

Here we go again…

Once more, a new study wants to make you feel bad about butter.

You know, the same butter they told you to replace with margarine back in the ’70s and ’80s—which we now know was a worse choice, filled with harmful trans fats.

Now, researchers from Harvard are stirring the pot again, publishing a study in JAMA Internal Medicine linking butter to a higher risk of early death, while plant-based oils like olive oil and canola oil were linked to better outcomes.

But there’s a catch…

Here’s the thing: we’re not here to defend butter as a health food. But can we please stop trying to turn simple, natural foods into public enemy number one?

This study—titled “Butter and Plant-Based Oils Intake and Mortality”—followed participants from the large Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study and analyzed how much butter they consumed compared to other fats.

What did they find?

• Eating more butter (especially replacing it instead of olive oil) was linked with a higher risk of dying during the study period.
• On the flip side, people who used more extra virgin olive oil or canola oil saw a lower risk.

So, should you panic and toss your butter dish?

Absolutely not.

Because what the researchers don’t tell you in the headlines is this: the biggest danger to your health isn’t a dab of butter on your vegetables or toast…

…it’s ultra-processed foods.

The factory-made junk foods full of refined carbs, artificial additives, and inflammatory seed oils are the real threats. These are the foods most consistently linked to chronic disease, weight gain, gut disruption, and early death.

Butter? It’s a traditional, whole food. Natural. And when eaten in moderation, especially as part of a balanced diet full of veggies, healthy proteins, and yes—olive oil—it’s not the villain here.

Here’s what we recommend:

1. Don’t be afraid of real food. Butter, eggs, cheese—these foods have been around for centuries. The same can’t be said for margarine, “vegetable oil spread,” or artificially flavored snack cakes.
2. Favor extra virgin olive oil. The science here is solid: it’s anti-inflammatory, heart-protective, and full of polyphenols that support healthy aging.
3. Avoid ultra-processed foods. This is where the damage really happens. If it comes in a box with a cartoon mascot, chances are your body won’t like it.

The bottom line? Butter in moderation isn’t the problem. Demonizing it while ignoring the real threat of modern processed food misses the point entirely.

So let’s not fall for it. Keep the butter if you enjoy it—just don’t slather it on everything, every day. And maybe drizzle a little more olive oil while you’re at it.

To not demonizing foods,

Rachel Mace
Managing Editorial Director, e-Alert
with contributions from the research team

P.S. Butter flavoring linked to increased Alzheimer’s risk? Learn more here.

Sources:

Staff, S. (2025, March 6). Butter for baking shows no major heart risks, but smearing it on bread is a different story. Study Finds. https://studyfinds.org/butter-plant-oils-death-risk-harvard-study/