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