Swapping butter for corn or olive oil ‘could slash risk of early death'
Swapping butter for corn, rapeseed or olive oil could slash the risk of an early death, new research suggests.
Experts examined data for more than 221,000 adults, who were followed up for 30 to 50 years, and found butter actually seemed to drive up the risk of dying.
Over time, some 50,932 deaths were documented among the group, with 12,241 due to cancer and 11,240 due to heart disease.
After adjusting for other factors, people in the group who had the highest butter intake had a 15% higher risk of dying from any cause compared with those with the lowest intake.
In contrast, the highest intake of plant-based oils such as corn, olive and rapeseed was associated with a 16% reduced risk of dying, compared with people with the lowest intake.
The researchers suggested that every 10g per day increase in plant-based oil intake was associated with an 11% lower risk of cancer death and a 6% lower risk of heart disease death.
Meanwhile, a higher intake of butter was associated with a 12% higher cancer death risk.
Substituting 10g per day of butter with an equivalent amount of plant-based oils was associated with an estimated 17% reduction in death from any cause and a 17% reduction in cancer death.
Writing in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the authors concluded that 'higher intake of butter was associated with increased mortality, while higher plant-based oils intake was associated with lower mortality.
'Substituting butter with plant-based oils may confer substantial benefits for preventing premature deaths.'
The data for the research was drawn from the US Nurses' Health Study, the Nurses' Health Study II and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Researchers included those from Harvard Medical School in the US.
People's diets were assessed by food questionnaires every four years.
Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics at King's College London, said: 'This is an important study that shows that people who chose to eat butter don't live as long as those who choose to eat vegetable oils.
'Butter is high in saturated fat, contains some trans fatty acids but is very low in polyunsaturated fats.
'Whereas unhydrogenated soybean, canola and olive oils are low in saturated fatty acids but high in unsaturated fats.
'The take-home message is that it is healthier to choose unsaturated vegetable oils rather than butter.
'This is particularly relevant as there has been much negative publicity about vegetable oils on social media, which are based on unfounded claims of potential harmful effects, rather than deaths as described in the present study.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Doctors raise alarm as numbers taking dangerous party drug that causes bladder failure rise eight-fold - experts say it's become a 'rite of passage' for young people
Ketamine's rising popularity was laid bare in a shocking report that revealed how recreational use of the potentially deadly drug has surged among young people. It follows the heartbreaking death of drag star The Vivienne who died of a cardiac arrest linked to addiction to the party drug in January this year. Ketamine use among 16 to 24-year-olds hit a record high in 2023, with almost 1 in 25 young people admitting to using the drug in the UK, according to the latest figures. Now doctors are concerned this epidemic is only getting worse, with more individuals seeking treatment for addiction than ever before. A new report published in the British Medical Journal revealed that between 2023 and 2024, 3,609 people started treatment for ketamine addiction in England, a figure eight times higher than the 426 reported just a decade before. Use of the drug among 16 to 24-year-olds more than doubled from 1.7 per cent to an alarming 3.8 per cent between 2010 and 2023. Commonly dubbed 'K' or 'Ket', the drug acts as an anaesthetic, producing feelings of detached euphoria when taken in high doses. Taking ketamine can be fatal, especially if it's mixed with other drugs. Ketamine can increase a user's heart rate and blood pressure, putting them at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Concerned medics from King's College London said that the surge is being driven by ketamine's affordability, as well as a lack of understanding of the damaging side-effects, which include organ damage. Teachers have also expressed concern that the drug is being taken by children in school hours, as it has been dubbed a 'rite of passage' by Mark O'Hagan, headteacher at Sacred Heart Catholic Academy, Liverpool. Dr Irene Guerrini, an addiction psychiatrist from King's College London, said in the new report: 'Long term use can seriously harm both physical and mental health, diminishing quality of life, affecting personal relationships and impairing academic or professional performance.' Despite its classification as a class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, for which the maximum penalty for possession is up to five years imprisonment and an unlimited fine, it is estimated to be available illicitly for as little as £20 a gram. Ketamine is used clinically as a general anaesthetic, with even lower doses prescribed for chronic pain, treatment resistant depression and suicidal thoughts. There is also some evidence that it can be effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol addiction. However, Dr Guerrini warned that the drug is increasingly being used at doses of 250mg or more recreationally, which can rapidly diminish sensations and even inhibit memory. Tolerance to the drug—which is usually sold in powder form that users snort—is known to build quickly. This leads to users needing more and more of the substance to feel the same high, which increases the risk of overdosing, or experiencing serious adverse side-effects, such as bladder problems. 'Ketamine induced uropathy and thickening of the bladder is a common and serious complication,' Dr Guerrini warned. This condition involves a blockage in the urinary tract that can cause urine to back up and damage the kidneys. More than a quarter of regular ketamine users in the UK report at least one bladder-related problem, including a painful burning sensation when passing urine, needing to urinate more often and incontinence. Higher doses can also lead to a phenomenon known as the 'k-hole', an intense feeling of dissociation and being unable to connect to reality. According to Dr Guerrini, the only way to treat these serious problems is abstinence—where an individual actively chooses to stop taking the drug. If a user fails to stop taking the drug whilst experiencing these problems, 'irreversible bladder and kidney damage' can occur, Dr Guerrini warned. This can result in users needing a bladder transplant, or regular bladder instillation treatments—where drugs are used to try and stretch the bladder back to its normal size. Concerningly, Dr Guerrini added: 'Patients attending the emergency department report that healthcare professionals do not seem aware that ketamine can cause addiction.' The authors of the report are now campaigning for all young people presenting with urinary or abdominal symptoms to be routinely asked about ketamine use. They say that the current treatment options for the drug are ineffective, and that developing a widely recognised better screening tools could help support earlier rehabilitation. Dr Guerrini said: 'Balancing ketamine's medical value with rising non-prescribed use is a complex challenge. 'The growth of private clinics offering ketamine to treat depression and other psychiatric conditions, alongside upbeat media coverage, risks normalising unsupervised or self-directed use,' he added. This comes as the family of The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams, have revealed that the late drag star kept their ketamine addiction a secret for years. In a 2019 episode of RuPaul's Drag Race, Williams revealed to viewers they had been addicted to the party drug for years. The Vivienne also previously described ketamine as their 'breakfast, lunch and dinner' at the height of addiction and at one time their drug use led them to be hospitalised three times in a single month. Williams, just 32, was found dead in their bathroom after suffering a cardiac arrest related to substance abuse and ketamine side effects. Their family are now campaigning to tackle the stigma around addiction and calling on the government to reclassify ketamine as a Class A drug. This would put ketamine on the same level as cocaine and heroin and carry the highest penalties for possession, supply or production. The Home Office is now considering reclassifying the drug, but opinions remain divided, with Dr Guerrini warning that classification is not the only issue. He said: 'A proportionate response should go beyond legislation to include clear governance of therapeutic use, investment in treatment and prevention, and balanced public messaging'.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
NHS makes major change to cervical cancer screenings for younger women
Women aged 25 to 49 who test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) will be invited to cervical screening every five years instead of every three, under new NHS guidelines. The change, set to take effect next month in England, follows recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee. According to analysis from King's College London, extending the screening interval to five years for HPV-negative women is just as safe as the current three-year interval, with a similar rate of cancer detection. HPV is a sexually transmitted group of viruses, with around 13 high-risk types known to cause almost all cases of cervical cancer. Most people with HPV don't experience any symptoms. Women who test positive for HPV, or have a history of the virus, will continue to be invited for more frequent screenings to monitor the virus and check for any changes to cells in the cervix. In a written statement to Parliament, health minister Ashley Dalton said the new change 'increases the opportunities to test and recall women and people with a cervix who have HPV, while extending the cervical screening intervals from three to five years in England for individuals who have a negative HPV test. 'This will bring England's cervical screening intervals in line with those of Wales and Scotland.' She said the NHS screening programme in England provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 'with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect HPV infection or cervical abnormalities at an early, more treatable stage'. She added: 'The aim of the programme is to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer and reduce the number who die from it.' Ms Dalton said testing negative for HPV means the chances of developing cancer within five years are very small, as it can take around 10 years or more from the time HPV is detected to developing cervical cancer. She added: 'Those who test positive for HPV are already being followed up with yearly testing. 'This is important to ensure that individuals are monitored for any early signs of cervical abnormalities and provided the necessary treatment.' Experts have been concerned about falling numbers of women under 50 attending cervical screening, with around a third in England not taking up their invitations. Dr Sue Mann, NHS national clinical director for women's health, said: 'Taking a more personalised approach to cervical screening will help ensure everyone eligible can make the most of these life-saving services, while sparing women appointments that they don't need. 'The NHS is following robust evidence on how often women need to be safely screened, and by putting invitations and reminders straight in women's pockets on their phones, we're making it easier than ever to take up screening appointments. 'Make sure you come forward for your screening when you're invited, even if it was weeks, months or years ago. If you think you are due but have not yet had an invitation, speak to your GP practice.' Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'We welcome this change to cervical screening in England, which is the result of years of vital research to make screening more effective and has shown it is safe to extend the time between tests. 'Screening, alongside the roll out of the HPV vaccine – which Cancer Research UK scientists helped develop – have seen cervical cancer rates drop by around a quarter since the early 1990s, and we look forward to even more progress. 'If you notice any unusual changes for you, do not wait for a screening invitation – speak to your doctor.' Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, said: 'We want every eligible person to feel empowered to attend a vaccination and cervical screening appointment when they are invited so we can achieve the brilliant ambition of eliminating cervical cancer.'
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
New NHS guidelines mean younger women could have fewer cervical screenings
Women aged 25 to 49 who test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) will be invited to cervical screening every five years instead of every three, under new NHS guidelines. The change, set to take effect next month in England, follows recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee. According to analysis from King's College London, extending the screening interval to five years for HPV-negative women is just as safe as the current three-year interval, with a similar rate of cancer detection. HPV is a sexually transmitted group of viruses, with around 13 high-risk types known to cause almost all cases of cervical cancer. Most people with HPV don't experience any symptoms. Women who test positive for HPV, or have a history of the virus, will continue to be invited for more frequent screenings to monitor the virus and check for any changes to cells in the cervix. In a written statement to Parliament, health minister Ashley Dalton said the new change 'increases the opportunities to test and recall women and people with a cervix who have HPV, while extending the cervical screening intervals from three to five years in England for individuals who have a negative HPV test. 'This will bring England's cervical screening intervals in line with those of Wales and Scotland.' She said the NHS screening programme in England provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 'with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect HPV infection or cervical abnormalities at an early, more treatable stage'. She added: 'The aim of the programme is to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer and reduce the number who die from it.' Ms Dalton said testing negative for HPV means the chances of developing cancer within five years are very small, as it can take around 10 years or more from the time HPV is detected to developing cervical cancer. She added: 'Those who test positive for HPV are already being followed up with yearly testing. 'This is important to ensure that individuals are monitored for any early signs of cervical abnormalities and provided the necessary treatment.' Experts have been concerned about falling numbers of women under 50 attending cervical screening, with around a third in England not taking up their invitations. Dr Sue Mann, NHS national clinical director for women's health, said: 'Taking a more personalised approach to cervical screening will help ensure everyone eligible can make the most of these life-saving services, while sparing women appointments that they don't need. 'The NHS is following robust evidence on how often women need to be safely screened, and by putting invitations and reminders straight in women's pockets on their phones, we're making it easier than ever to take up screening appointments. 'Make sure you come forward for your screening when you're invited, even if it was weeks, months or years ago. If you think you are due but have not yet had an invitation, speak to your GP practice.' Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'We welcome this change to cervical screening in England, which is the result of years of vital research to make screening more effective and has shown it is safe to extend the time between tests. 'Screening, alongside the roll out of the HPV vaccine – which Cancer Research UK scientists helped develop – have seen cervical cancer rates drop by around a quarter since the early 1990s, and we look forward to even more progress. 'If you notice any unusual changes for you, do not wait for a screening invitation – speak to your doctor.' Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, said: 'We want every eligible person to feel empowered to attend a vaccination and cervical screening appointment when they are invited so we can achieve the brilliant ambition of eliminating cervical cancer.'
