Butter Leads to Lower Blood Fats Than Olive Oil, Study Finds

[HOTROCKS]

(Feb. 10, 2010) ? High blood fat levels normally raise the cholesterol values in the blood, which in turn elevates the risk of atherosclerosis and heart attack. Now a new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that butter leads to considerably less elevation of blood fats after a meal compared with olive oil and a new type of canola and flaxseed oil. The difference was stronger in men than in women.
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The main explanation for the relatively low increase of blood fat levels with butter is that about 20 percent of the fat in butter consists of short and medium-length fatty acids. These are used directly as energy and therefore never affect the blood fat level to any great extent. Health care uses these fatty acids with patients who have difficulty taking up nutrition -- in other words, they are good fatty acids.

"A further explanation, which we are speculating about, is that intestinal cells prefer to store butter fat rather than long-chain fatty acids from vegetable oils. However, butter leads to a slightly higher content of free fatty acids in the blood, which is a burden on the body," explains Julia Svensson, a doctoral candidate in Biotechnology and Nutrition at Lund University.

The greater difference in men is due to, among other things, hormones, the size of fat stores, and fundamental differences in metabolism between men and women, which was previously known. This situation complicates the testing of women, since they need to be tested during the same period in the menstruation cycle each time in order to yield reliable results.

"The findings provide a more nuanced picture of various dietary fats. Olive oil has been studied very thoroughly, and its benefits are often extolled. The fact that butter raises blood cholesterol in the long term is well known, whereas its short-term effects are not as well investigated. Olive oil is good, to be sure, but our findings indicate that different food fats can have different advantages," emphasizes Julia Svensson.

"Finally, all fats have high energy content, and if you don't burn what you ingest, your weight will go up, as will your risk of developing diseases in the long run," she reminds us.

Here's how the test was done: 19 women and 28 men participated in the study. Each individual ate three test meals containing canola-flaxseed oil, butter, or olive oil. The day before the test they had to fast after 9 p.m. The following morning a fasting blood sample was drawn to check their health status and all blood fats. The test meal consisted of the test fat mixed into hot cream of wheat, 1.5-% milk, blackberry jam, and a slice of bread with ham. The meal contained 35 g of test fat and about 810 Kcal. Blood samples were then drawn 1, 3, 5, and 7 h after the meal, and all blood fats were analyzed. The participants fasted during the day.

 

[black7]

didnt read but what type fats? what about cholesterol?

just read it... thats why we eat extra virgin olive oil

 

[black7]

Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats in the diet is linked with a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.[22] This is significant because olive oil is considerably rich in monounsaturated fats, most notably oleic acid.

In the United States, producers of olive oil may place the following health claim on product labels:

Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 2 tbsp. (23 g) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.[23]

This decision was announced November 1, 2004, by the Food and Drug Administration after application was made to the FDA by producers. Similar labels are permitted for foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as walnuts and hemp seed.[24]

There is a large body of clinical data to show that consumption of olive oil can provide heart health benefits such as favourable effects on cholesterol regulation and LDL cholesterol oxidation, and that it exerts antiinflamatory, antithrombotic, antihypertensive as well as vasodilatory effects both in animals and in humans.[25]

But some clinical evidence suggests that it is olive oil's phenolic content, rather than its fatty acid profile, that is responsible for at least some of its cardioprotective benefits. For example, a clinical trial published[26] in 2005 compared the effects of different types of olive oil on arterial elasticity. Test subjects were given a serving of 60 g of white bread and 40 ml of olive oil each morning for two consecutive days. The study was conducted in two stages. During the first stage, the subjects received polyphenol-rich oil (extra virgin oil contains the highest amount of polyphenol antioxidants). During the second phase, they received oil with only one fifth the phenolic content. The elasticity of the arterial walls of each subject was measured using a pressure sleeve and a Doppler laser. It was discovered that after the subjects had consumed olive oil high in polyphenol antioxidants, they exhibited increased arterial elasticity, while after the consumption of olive oil containing fewer polyphenols, they displayed no significant change in arterial elasticity. It is theorized that, in the long term, increased elasticity of arterial walls reduces vascular stress and consequentially the risk of two common causes of death—heart attacks and stroke. This could, at least in part, explain the lower incidence of both diseases in regions where olive oil and olives are consumed on a daily basis.

Another health benefit of olive oil seems to be its property to displace omega-6 fats, while not having any impact on omega-3 fats. This way, olive oil helps to build a more healthy balance between omega-6 fats and omega-3 fats.[citation needed]

Unlike the high amount of animal fats typical to the American diet, olive oil lowers cholesterol levels in the blood.[27] It is also known to lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure.[28]

Olive oil contains the monounsaturated fat oleic acid, having antioxidants such as vitamin E and carotenoids, and oleuropein, a chemical that prevents the oxidation of LDL particles. It is these properties that are thought to contribute to the health benefits of olive oil.[citation needed]

As they are the least processed forms of olive oil, extra virgin or virgin olive oil have more monounsaturated fat than olive oil. These types of olive oil contain more polyphenols, leading to a healthier heart and lower "bad" cholesterol.[29]

Preliminary research indicates that olive oil could possibly be a chemopreventive agent for peptic ulcer or gastric cancer, but confirmation requires further in vivo study.[30] Olive oil was also found to reduce oxidative damage to DNA and RNA, which may be a factor in preventing cancer.[31]

A high consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in most types of vegetable oil including olive oil, may increase the likelihood that postmenopausal women may develop breast cancer.[32] A similar effect was observed on prostate cancer.[33] Other analysis suggested an inverse association between total polyunsaturated fatty acids and breast cancer risk.[34]

 

[HOTROCKS]

what is the date on that study ?

 

[black7]

Pharmacological Research
Volume 55, Issue 3, March 2007, Pages 175-186
Nutritional Pharmacology
doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2007.01.010 | How to Cite or Link Using DOI
Copyright ? 2007 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved. Cited By in Scopus (46)
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Olive oil and the cardiovascular system
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References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.

Mar?a-Isabel CovasCorresponding Author Contact Information, a, E-mail The Corresponding Author

aLipids and Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Municipal d́Investigaci? M?dica (IMIM – Hospital del Mar), Parc de Recerca Biom?dica de Barcelona (PRBB), Carrer Dr. Aiguader, 80. 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Accepted 19 January 2007.
Available online 30 January 2007.

Abstract

Olive oil is the primary source of fat in the Mediterranean diet which is associated with a low mortality for cardiovascular disease. In spite of this, data concerning olive oil consumption and primary end points for cardiovascular disease are scarce. However, a large body of knowledge exists providing evidence of the benefits of olive oil consumption on secondary end points for cardiovascular disease. The benefits of olive oil consumption are beyond a mere reduction of the low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Here, we review the state of the art concerning the knowledge of the most important biological and clinical effects related to the intake of olive oil rich diets on lipoprotein metabolism, oxidative damage, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, blood pressure, thrombosis, and carbohydrate metabolism. The extent to which we possess evidence of the health benefits of olive oil minor components is also assessed. The wide range of anti-atherogenic effects associated with olive oil consumption could contribute to explain the low rate of cardiovascular mortality found in Southern European Mediterranean countries, in comparison with other western countries, despite a high prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors.

Keywords: Olive oil; Monounsaturated fatty acids; Phenolic compounds; Cardiovascular disease

 

[Thate]

This is why I dip everything in butter before I eat it

 

[millenium girl]

I never eat butter, I prefer olive oil.

 

[P. Bateman]

You'll eat what I give you or you can go to your room, your choice missy!