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r Butter

See also Vegetable oils.

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Nutritional Profile
3 Energy value (calories per serving): High
Protein: Low
Fat: High

] Saturated fat: High


Cholesterol: High
Carbohydrates: Low
Fiber: None
1 Sodium: Low (unsalted butter)
High (salted butter)
Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A, vitamin D

[ Major mineral contribution: None

About the Nutrients in This Food

8 Butterfat is 62 percent saturated fatty acids, 35 percent monounsaturated


fatty acids, and 4 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids. One tablespoon of
butter has 11 g of fat, 7.1 g of saturated fat, and 31 mg cholesterol, and 1,070
IU vitamin A (46 percent of the RDA for a woman, 36 percent of the RDA
for a man). The vitamin A is derived from carotenoids in plants eaten by
/ the milk-cow.

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food


w ***

^ Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food


Low-cholesterol, controlled-fat diet
Sodium-restricted diet (salted butter)

? Buying This Food


Look for: Fresh butter. Check the date on the package.
Storing This Food
Store butter in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped to protect it from air and prevent it from
picking up the odors of other food. Even refrigerated butter will eventually turn rancid as its
fat molecules combine with oxygen to produce hydroperoxides that, in turn, break down into
chemicals with an unpleasant flavor and aroma. This reaction is slowed (but not stopped)
by cold. Because salt retards the combination of fats with oxygen, salted butter stays fresh
longer than plain butter. (Lard, which is pork fat, must also be refrigerated. Lard has a higher
proportion of unsaturated fats than the butter. Since unsaturated fats combine with oxygen
more easily than saturated fats, lard becomes rancid more quickly than butter.)

Preparing This Food


To measure a half-cup of butter. Pour four ounces of water into an eight-ounce measuring
cup, then add butter until the water rises to the eight-ounce mark. Scoop out the butter, use
as directed in recipe.

What Happens When You Cook This Food


Fats are very useful in cooking. They keep foods from sticking to the pot or pan; add fla-
vor; and, as they warm, transfer heat from the pan to the food. In doughs and batters, fats
separate the flours starch granules from each other. The more closely the fat mixes with the
starch, the smoother the bread or cake will be.
Heat speeds the oxidation and decomposition of fats. When fats are heated, they can
catch fire spontaneously without boiling first at what is called the smoke point. Butter will
burn at 250F.

How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food


Freezing. Freezing slows the oxidation of fats more effectively than plain refrigeration;
frozen butter keeps for up to nine months.
Whipping. When butter is whipped, air is forced in among the fat molecules to produce a
foam. As a result, the whipped butter has fewer calories per serving, though not per ounce.

Medical Uses and/or Benefits


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Adverse Effects Associated with This Food


Increased risk of heart disease. Like other foods from animals, butter contains cholesterol
and saturated fats. Eating butter increases the amount of cholesterol circulating in your
blood and raise your risk of heart disease. To reduce the risk of heart disease, USDA/Health
and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting the amount of
cholesterol in your diet to no more than 300 mg a day. The guidelines also recommend limit-
ing the amount of fat you consume to no more than 30 percent of your total calories, while
holding your consumption of saturated fats to no more than 10 percent of your total calories
(the calories from saturated fats are counted as part of the total calories from fat).
Increased risk of acid reflux. Consuming excessive amounts of fats and fatty foods loosens
the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a muscular valve between the esophagus and the
stomach. When food is swallowed, the valve opens to let food into the stomach, then closes
tightly to keep acidic stomach contents from refluxing (flowing backwards) into the esopha-
gus. If the LES does not close efficiently, the stomach contents reflux to cause heartburn, a
burning sensation. Repeated reflux is a risk factor for esophageal cancer.

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