butter

Butter is not recommended for breast cancer

Made from milk, butter is a rich dietary source of vitamin A, calcium, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), all of which have been shown to have anticarcinogenic properties. However, butter consumption has been found to be associated with increased risks of leukemia, as well as oral, esophageal, thyroid, stomach, pancreatic, endometrial, colorectal, prostate and testicular cancer. In addition, consumption of butter (with its high saturated fat content) has been found to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks in women as well as in men.

Breast cancer-related effects of consuming butter

Although not all studies of the relationship between breast cancer and dairy foods have found a positive association between butter intake and the risk of breast cancer, many have. Women in the Nurses' Health Study who consumed more butter during high school have been found to have a higher risk of breast cancer in adulthood. Another study found that butter consumption was associated with increased risk of recurrence of early stage breast cancer, especially among premenopausal breast cancer cases. Other U.S, Canadian and European studies have found the use of butter in soups or sauces (i.e., boiled butter), butter at the dinner table, and butter used for frying food to be associated with higher risk of breast cancer. High intake of animal fats has been linked in several studies to increased breast density, a risk factor for breast cancer and recurrence.

Additional comments

Ghee is a type of clarified butter used in South Asian cuisine. To make ghee, the water and milk solids are removed from butter by heating to eliminate the water and straining. Consumption of ghee has been associated with cardiovascular disease in India; ghee has an even higher saturated fat content than butter.

Note that while we are continually searching for new evidence concerning this food, there is not much interest in it among breast cancer researchers so few studies are available.

Tags: CLA, Indian, butter, calcium, cardiovascular, dairy, endometrialCancer, milk, vitaminA

Selected breast cancer studies
+ Show study summaries

Comparison of nutritional quality between conventional and organic dairy products: a meta-analysis Dairy consumption and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies Mammographic Density and Intake of Selected Nutrients and Vitamins in Norwegian Women Post-diagnosis dietary factors and survival after invasive breast cancer Meat, eggs, dairy products, and risk of breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort Identification of a dietary pattern characterized by high-fat food choices associated with increased risk of breast cancer: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam Study Salad vegetables dietary pattern protects against HER-2-positive breast cancer: a prospective Italian study Consumption of dairy products and cancer risks Adolescent diet and risk of breast cancer Intake of conjugated linoleic acid, fat, and other fatty acids in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer: the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer The effect of dietary exposures on recurrence and mortality in early stage breast cancer



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