We use a variety of cooking oils (fats derived from plants or animals) when preparing food. A lot of baking calls for oils, other foods require oil for frying, and you may also roast meats or vegetables with an oil coating. We may also use oil for topping carbohydrates and starches, like breads, crackers, and potatoes. Many of us probably consume more cooking oils, or foods prepared with them, than we even realize.
Plant-based oils encompass a variety of cooking oils sourced from plants. Producers make these oils from various plants, including avocado, coconut, corn, olives, peanuts, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. Plant-based oils contrast with animal-based oils, which include butter and lard.
A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine evaluated how butter and plant-based oil consumption impact mortality of adults in the United States. The study investigated how each type of fat product related to the risk of overall mortality as well as cause-specific mortality of conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The researchers, located at several clinical locations in the Boston area, conducted a population-based study using three cohorts. The study extracted participant data from the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The analysis only included participants without cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or neurodegenerative disease. The exposures studied included intake of butter, at the table and from cooking) and plant-based oil (safflower, soybean, corn, canola, olive). The researchers obtained data on the consumption of these products from food frequency questionnaires administered every four years and categorized participants into quartiles accordingly. Further, they obtained overall mortality, cancer-specific mortality, and cardiovascular disease-specific mortality data from sources including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Death Index. Physicians determined the cause of death based on death certificates and additional medical records.
All three cohort databases began collecting data between 1990 and 1991, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of over 30 years of follow-up for some participants. Over this period, 221,054 adults enrolled across the three studies and 50,932 deaths occurred. Roughly half of the recorded deaths were attributed to cancer (12,241) or cardiovascular disease (11,240).
The analysis revealed that those with the highest butter consumption had a 15% greater risk of overall mortality than those with the lowest consumption. On the other hand, participants with the highest intake of plant-based oils had a 16% lower risk of mortality than those consuming the least. Higher intake of plant-based oils derived from rapeseeds (canola), soybeans, and olives yielded a significant association with reduced mortality.
When investigating the link to cancer-specific mortality, the researchers found that every 10 gram/day increase in plant-based oil consumption lowered the risk of cancer-specific mortality by 11%. The same increase in plant-based oil reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease-specific mortality by 6%. Further, the study found that higher butter consumption was associated with a higher cancer-specific mortality. The researchers estimated that replacing 10 grams/day of butter with plant-based oils could potentially reduce overall mortality and cancer-specific mortality, each by 17%.
These findings underscore the significant impact that simple dietary changes can have on health and longevity. The study has quantified how higher butter consumption relates to mortality, including cancer-specific mortality. This study's results may encourage people to substitute butter for plant-based oils.
Sources: JAMA Intern Med
