Grass-Fed Butter

Best Grass-Fed Butter

5 Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Butter and Why It’s Good for You

It’s the news you’ve been waiting for: everything’s better with butter, even your health. There’s a reason it’s in Bulletproof Coffee, Ketogenic Diets and Mediterranean style diets. Grass-fed butter and ghee are staples in the Keto-type diets, and packed with powerful nutrients and rich fats.

But not all butter is created equal: just like grass-fed beef, grass-fed butter is a completely upgraded food. Read on to learn how these golden bars of grass-fed goodness can boost your health while adding flavor to every meal.

Grass-fed butter vs. regular butter
When cows are pastured on their natural diet of grass, they produce milk with more healthy fats and fat-soluble vitamins, a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, and fewer toxins. Buying grass-fed dairy also supports more sustainable farming. If you want the best fuel for your body, organic, grass-fed butter is the real deal.

In contrast, when dairy cows eat grains, they become sick, malnourished, and weak. This means butter with fewer nutrients, more omega-6, and traces of the added hormones and antibiotics used to keep the sick animals alive. Grain-fed dairy is also more likely to contain mold and toxins from moldy grains used as feed. These mold toxins accumulate in the animal’s milk, although less is present in butter.[1]

Organic, grass-fed ghee is another way to reap the benefits of butter, especially if you are lactose-intolerant or have trouble digesting dairy. Ghee is pure butterfat, so grass-fed ghee will have all the benefits mentioned above, without the casein and lactose that irritate some people. Ghee also has a higher smoke point, making it ideal for high-temperature cooking.

Health benefits of grass-fed butter
Health Benefits Grass Fed Butter_Rich source of CLARich source of CLA: Grass-fed butter contains five times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than butter from grain-fed cows.[2] CLA is a beneficial fatty acid linked to fighting cancer, preventing bone loss, and helping your body build muscle rather than store fat. Its anti-inflammatory properties help it support nearly every system in your body, and provide protection from chronic inflammatory disease.

Health Benefits Grass Fed Butter_Support heart healthSupports heart health: Wait, butter? Cardiologists love to hate it, but grass-fed butter actually supports heart health on a low-carb diet. Rich in antioxidants, good cholesterol and saturated fats, it contains several nutrients that protect against heart disease, like vitamins A, D, E, K2, and iodine, lecithin, and selenium.

Though saturated fat gets a lot of bad press, research shows that clogged arteries are caused by unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and inflammation.[3] In fact, many studies have linked dairy fat consumption with a reduced chance of strokes or heart attacks.[4][5]

Health Benefits Grass Fed Butter_Fight inflammation with omega-3Fights inflammation with omega-3: Grass-fed butter also boasts much higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, compared to butter from grain-fed cows.[6][7] Your body produces small amounts of these fatty acids, but a diet rich in omega-3 can help you reach optimal levels.

Omega-3s are an integral part of cell membranes throughout your body, and a building block for necessary hormones. Their anti-inflammatory function makes them essential for protecting heart and brain function and controlling inflammatory conditions such as eczema and arthritis.[8] Proper omega-3 levels are also vital for healthy fetal development.[9]

Health Benefits Grass Fed Butter_Boost weight loss with butyrateBoost weight loss with butyrate: One of the most magically beneficial compounds in butter is the metabolism-boosting fatty acid butyrate.

In studies using mice, butyrate improved insulin sensitivity, reduced cholesterol and blood sugar, and greatly increased fat burning and mitochondrial activity.[10] Mitochondria power every cell in your body. They turn the foods you eat into cellular energy that keeps your body running. Happy mitochondria are the foundation of the keto diet, and help you feel, look, and perform your best.

Butyrate is also linked to reduced inflammation, and supporting the healthy bacteria in your gut.[11]

Health Benefits Grass Fed Butter

The rich, golden-yellow color in grass-fed butter is caused by the high levels of beta-carotene from the cow’s grass-fed diet. A study in the Journal of Dairy Science found that beta-carotene and lutein both increased with the proportion of grazed grass in the dairy cows’ diets.[12] Your body uses beta-carotene to produce vitamin A, which supports vision, bone health, and your immune system, while lutein protects your eyes by filtering blue light and UV. [13]

Where can you buy grass-fed butter?
Already a staple in health food stores, a rise in popularity is making it easier to find grass-fed butter in chain grocery stores too. Kerrygold Irish Butter is your best bet when looking for grass-fed butter at the supermarket. Stock up at Trader Joe’s, Costco or Aldi’s for some of the best prices.

Your local farmers’ market is another great place to check for pasture-raised dairy products. Some farms are only able to support their livestock on pasture-only diets during the summer months, and therefore might only package grass-fed butter during those times. Look for butters labeled as “grass-fed” or “pasture-raised,” and opt for organic when you can.

Like conventional butter, you can find grass-fed butters in different styles. The two you’re likely most familiar with are salted and unsalted. Salted butter is fantastic for adding flavor, while unsalted is best used in recipes where you’re adding salt and spices separately.

You can also find cultured and European-style butters, which may be easier to digest, but do add a tangy flavor from their fermentation.

Lastly, ghee is a form of clarified butter, where the sugars and protein have been separated out. Without these milk solids, ghee is less irritating for dairy-sensitive folk, and safer at high heats.

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Butter

1. Contains heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3-fatty acids are essential fatty acids. The reason omega-3 fatty acids are called “essential” is because the human body is unable to produce them. Therefore, the only way that our body can get omega-3 fatty acids is through the food we eat.

For optimal health, it’s important that our ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is less than 4:1. Unfortunately, the average American has a ratio of about 20:1.

Real, grass-fed butter contains an equal ratio of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids.

(It’s important to note that to maintain equal ratio’s of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, butter must be made from the milk of grass-fed cows, not grain-fed cows.)

With the rise in popularity of the keto diet, I thought I’d do some research on the health benefits of grass-fed butter. Click through to read out the surprising health benefits!2. Lowers pain and inflammation
Grass-fed butter contains both omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA.) Both omega-3 fatty acids and CLA have anti-inflammatory properties.

In addition to the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids and CLA, the high fat content of butter helps to lubricating the joints, which helps to lower joint-related pain.

3. Aids in brain development and helps to keep the brain healthy
Did you know that the human brain is over 60% fat? In fact, the majority of the brain is made of saturated fat and cholesterol.

As such, healthy fats are essential for brain development in infants and children, and play a key role in maintaining brain health in adults.

Because of it’s high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, butter is considered a brain-healthy food.

4. Contains Activator X
You might be wondering what the heck “activator x” is, and why it’s important.

Basically, you need activator x because it helps your body absorb and use essential minerals. What’s the good in eating foods rich in essential minerals if your body can’t absorb them, right?

Grass-fed butter is an excellent source of activator x, but it MUST be grass-fed butter.

Butter that is produced from the milk of grain-fed cows contains no activator x.

5. Good source of vitamins
Butter contains vitamins A, B12, D, E, and K and most importantly, they’re bioavailable. What this means is that the vitamins contained in butter are able to be easily absorbed by the body, without having to be converted into a usable form.

How do these vitamins benefit your health?

Vitamin A – crucial for cell growth, a healthy immune system, and healthy eyes and skin.

Vitamin B12 – essential for proper brain and nerve functioning. Many people are deficient in vitamin B12.

Vitamin D – also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D helps to support lung function and aids in cardiovascular health, a healthy immune system, and healthy bones, teeth, brain and nervous system.

Vitamin E – helps to protect the body from toxins, neurological diseases and cataracts, and fights against damaging free-radicals.

Vitamin K – prevents excessive bleeding by clotting the blood, and plays a key role in maintaining healthy skin, hair, heart and bones.

Include a variety of healthy oils and fats into your diet. Together they work as a team to supply your body with essential fatty acids for longevity, hormone balance, heart health, sharp vision, glowing moist skin and energy. The wonderful variety of oils and fats certainly includes organic, preferably raw butter. Cultured raw butter is even better.

Real Supplements gives you the best Grass-Fed Butter on the market today. We keep our lists fresh and current so you get the best options and top rated products.

Real Supps Team

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