Health-friendly butter. With attention to the smoke point
An undisputed protagonist of Italian culinary tradition and quality pastries, butter is a health-friendly food. Indeed a true superfood, thanks to the vitamins in which it is rich and CLA, conjugated lineoleic acid. To be taken in relative moderation because of the high energy value (750 kcal/100 g), as are all fats after all. Most importantly, better raw or heated with levity.
The vitamins in butter
The beneficial nutrients in butter are numerous, as evidenced by the composition table prepared by Cra-Nut (formerly Inran).
Butter is rich in vitamin A, which is useful for vision and the endocrine system, among other things. It contains an average of 930 micrograms/100g, although the amount varies depending on the feed fed to the cows from which the milk comes. And it is also a valuable source of other fat-soluble vitamins, such as E (in which it is rich, at 2.4 mg per 100 g), D and K2. Which are beneficial to the proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus, benefiting bones and teeth.
The CLA factor
Perhaps the most valuable element in the composition of butter, however, is another, conjugated linoleic acid (c18:3, CLA). Present in even higher amounts when cows have been fed grass and forage.
This polyunsaturated fatty acid is a valuable ally in cancer prevention, as well as in combating atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity. (2) Protects against hypercholesterolemia and coronary artery disease. It also has beneficial effects on bone formation and has an anti-inflammatory function in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Butter also contains other fatty acids worthy of appreciation such as glycosphingolipids, which serve a protective function in the gut.
Attention to the smoke point
One item to consider when using butter in household preparations is its low smoke point, (1) between 120 and 160 degrees. It is therefore unsuitable for frying food, except in cases of delicate and quick ‘browning’. Clarified butter is preferred when cooking, since the complete absence of protein and carbohydrates increases its resistance to heat up to about 200 degrees.
Notes
(1) the smoke point is the temperature at which any heated food fat begins to release volatile substances-which are precisely visible in the form of smoke tending to a blue color-and forms toxic substances such as acrolein
(2) see studies on the function of CLA in reducing diabetes risk, preventing breast cancer risks, preventing cardiovascular and atherosclerosis risks, reducing Body Mass Index
