Beware of the Dangers of Butter Because It Contains Saturated Fat

Butter is a food made from animal fat that contains saturated fat. The danger of excessive butter is that it can increase cholesterol levels in the body, so the risk of diabetes, stroke and heart attack is higher. Butter is very popular in Indonesia, this material is very often found and used daily. Starting from a mixture of bread, a substitute for cooking oil, to flavoring a variety of dishes. Although a study says saturated fat is not directly related to these diseases, but it is still recommended to limit consumption of butter.

Recognize the Types of Fats

To understand the danger of butter, you should first identify the types of fat contained in food. In general, there are two types of fat in food, namely saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Each food contains one of the more dominant types of fat. To find out more about the types of fat, here is an explanation that you need to know.

• Saturated fat

Saturated fats are generally found in foods derived from animals, such as red meat, poultry, fish, cheese, and milk. The levels are also different. Saturated fats in red meat are higher than poultry and fish. Saturated fats are also found in foods derived from plants, for example brown fat or cocoa. Likewise, vegetable oil is commonly used in the tropics, such as palm oil and coconut oil. At room temperature, saturated fat is solid, so it is often referred to as solid fat. This ingredient can increase cholesterol levels in the blood.

• Unsaturated fats

This type of fat is mostly produced from plants, nuts and fish. You are advised to consume more unsaturated fats than saturated fats. This is because unsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol. However, that does not mean unsaturated fats can be consumed in excess. Unsaturated fats are divided into two types, namely:

• Monounsaturated fat

Monounsaturated fats are found in canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, avocados and olives. You are advised to eat foods that contain monounsaturated fat to take advantage, which is to maintain good cholesterol (HDL). Monounsaturated fats also reduce levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). To note, you must compensate by reducing the consumption of saturated fat so that bad cholesterol levels can actually be lowered.

• Polyunsaturated fat

Polyunsaturated fats are in vegetable oils, namely corn oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, and sunflower seed oil. Another source is seafood. Like monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats can also help reduce levels of bad cholesterol if consumed instead of saturated fats. There are two important types of long chain unsaturated fats:
- Omega-3 fatty acids, can be obtained from salmon, sardines, and shellfish, walnuts, soybean oil, and canola oil. Consuming omega-3 fatty acids as much as 250 mg per day will help improve body health.
- Omega-6 fatty acids, can be obtained from corn oil and soybean oil.


• Trans fat

Trans fat is fat that has undergone a process of hydrogenation, which process makes trans fat last longer and the texture becomes harder when at room temperature. Usually these trans fats make crackers and chips feel more crispy. Trans fats are often found in processed foods and certain snack foods, such as cakes and biscuits. In addition, it is also found in margarine, sauces for salads, and crackers. Try to limit consumption of this type of fat because it can increase cholesterol levels in the blood.

Fat content in butter and its relation to health

As previously known that the danger of butter is to increase cholesterol levels because of the saturated fat content in it. Often people try to reduce the consumption of saturated fat by replacing it into unhealthy processed carbohydrates, such as white bread. Of course the results will not be better, because unhealthy processed carbohydrates are also associated with an increased risk of heart disease. It is recommended that you replace it with healthier foods, namely fruits, vegetables, and high-quality carbohydrates such as whole cereals (whole grains). For the choice of cooking oil and butter, you can replace it with corn oil or soybean oil. After knowing the dangers of butter which contains lots of saturated fat, hopefully you can start to limit consumption. If you have special health conditions, you should consult a doctor for the amount of butter consumption that is allowed.