Butter
What the research shows
PrototypeConcerning
in studies of people
2 of 2 health findings on this page · See the findings
What research says
Studies in people
-
Concern
Risk of early death3
People who ate the most butter had a higher risk of dying early than those who ate the least.
-
Concern
Blood cholesterol levels4
In people, eating butter raised LDL cholesterol more than coconut oil or olive oil did.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
Products
The 6 most-scanned of 23,092 products on Open Food Facts that list butter.
- Cheddar la Hollandaise · 24 336 g 1 additive
- Petit Cookies Pépites de chocolat Bonne Maman · 250 g 3 additives
- BLENDED SPREAD 75% LURPAK · 400 g 0 additives
- Cookie Dough Vanilla Ice Cream with Chunks of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ben & Jerry's · 406 g 3 additives
- Tartelettes citron Bonne Maman · 125 g (9 sachets) 2 additives
- Velouté de légumes Liebig · 75 cl 0 additives
References
- 1butter: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
- 2Butter. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026.
- 3Zhang Y, Chadaideh KS, Li Y, et al. Butter and Plant-Based Oils Intake and Mortality. JAMA Intern Med. 2025;185(5):549-560. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.0205
- 4Khaw KT, Sharp SJ, Finikarides L, et al. Randomised trial of coconut oil, olive oil or butter on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors in healthy men and women. BMJ Open. 2018;8(3):e020167. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020167