Because butter is used in so many things, it's easy to overdo it from baking to cooking, breakfast to dinner.
Although butter enhances food flavor, you should think carefully before adding a stick (or two) to your pound cake or mashed potato recipe. Butter, like other foods, is good (and even nutritious) in moderation, but slathering too much of it on your toast every morning could put you at risk of developing severe and even life-threatening medical issues.
"Because butter contains much-saturated fat, overeating of it is bad for your heart," says Trista Best, RD, a Registered Dietitian at Balance One Supplements.
Another difficulty with too much butter (and saturated fats in general) is that it can contribute to unhealthy weight gain and even obesity, leading to a slew of significant health problems.
"Butter has concentrated calories (about 100 calories per tablespoon), and consuming too much of it can lead to weight gain," explains Lisa Young, Ph.D., RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim.
According to specialists, there are few severe side effects of overeating butter due to these and other features of the dairy product. Continue reading to learn more, and don't miss 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now for more healthy eating.
1. It has the potential to raise LDL ('bad') cholesterol levels.
"Butter contains much-saturated fat. A spoonful of sugar contains around seven grams, or one-third of the daily recommended limit, "Leann Poston, MD, MBA, MEd, adds. "Saturated fat consumption raises LDL ("bad") and HDL cholesterol levels. Increased LDL cholesterol raises your chance of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks, and atherosclerosis raises your risk of these events."
2. It has the potential to cause heart disease.
As Poston pointed out, an increase in LDL cholesterol produced by overeating butter has its own set of potentially harmful consequences. "Butter is a saturated fat that, when consumed in excess, can contribute to heart disease," explains Young. "Butter, like other saturated fats, raises LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels, which can clog arteries and lead to heart disease."
Morgyn Clair, RD, a registered dietitian nutritionist for Sprint Kitchen, agrees that too much butter is linked to heart disease. "Butter is stressful on the cardiovascular system because of its high saturated fat level," she says. "Saturated fat causes plaque to form up in the arteries, reducing blood flow efficiency. Heart attack, heart disease, and stroke are all possible outcomes of this plaque."
3. It may play a role in the formation of visceral fat.
According to studies, overeating butter increases your risk of accumulating visceral fat. "Because of its high levels of saturated fat, excessive butter consumption might result in excess visceral fat being stored deep in your abdomen," says Malorie Thompson, PN1 nutritionist. "Visceral fat has been related to an increase in several bad health disorders, such as heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and type 1 diabetes."
4. It has the potential to cause obesity.
"[Butter] leads to weight gain," says Chrissy Arsenault, MBA, RDN, LD. "It's not simply the formation of visceral fat that might be an issue." "Per tablespoon of butter, there are over 100 calories. When you use a lot of it, it adds up rapidly, especially since saturated fat accounts for the majority of the calories. Obesity can lead to various health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer."
She goes on to say: "To summarize, there are healthier methods to flavor food without making it unhealthy. Olive oil has the same number of calories as butter per tablespoon but contains no dietary cholesterol and significantly less saturated fat, making it a far better choice."
5. It has the potential to raise triglycerides.
"Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and can raise cholesterol and triglycerides," says Lisa Richards, author of The Candida Diet. "An increase in these two biometric markers greatly increases the risk of heart disease or stroke. This is because cholesterol and circulating fat can induce arterial blockages, which are a major cause of cardiovascular problems."
6. It has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
According to a 2018 study published in the medical journal Current Alzheimer Research, there is a link between higher saturated fat intake (such as butter) and the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Researchers examined 8,630 people and discovered that a higher dietary saturated fat intake was linked to a 39 percent and 105 percent increase in the risk of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia, respectively.