One of the best animal-based fats is butter derived from pastured, grass-fed animals. It’s rich in butyrate, a short-chain saturated fatty acid that a healthy colon also produces from dietary fiber. Grass-fed butter is an amazing health food that aids in supplying the body with nutrient-dense fats while promoting a healthy digestive tract.
Grass-fed butter is rich in fat-soluble vitamins like true vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K, and vitamin E, as well as all of their naturally occurring cofactors that aid absorption. These butter “catalysts” or “activators,” as Dr. Weston Price once referred to them, are what our bodies use to absorb vitamins and minerals effectively. Without them, it wouldn’t matter how many nutrients we ingested – very few of them would actually reach their intended targets.
Butterfat is critical for sexual development and reproduction, as its fat-soluble vitamins support healthy endocrine function. It also contains what’s known as the “Wulzen Factor” or the “anti-stiffness” factor. Only present in raw animal fat, this substance protects humans and animals against joint calcification (aka degenerative arthritis), artery hardening, cataracts, and pineal gland calcification.
Butter further contains what Dr. Price described as “Activator X,” another catalyzing nutrient that helps the body better absorb vitamins and minerals. Activator X is only present in butter derived from animals that graze a heavy diet of natural grasses. It’s not found in conventional butter derived from cows fed soy-based grain feed or cottonseed meal.
Butter contains high levels of arachidonic acid (AA), a nutrient that serves as a precursor to prostaglandins. It also supports brain health and cell membrane integrity. Butter also contains a high density of both short—and medium-chain fatty acids (between 12-15%),ectly from the small intestine into the liver for quick conversion into energy. These same fatty acids possess antimicrobial, antitumoral, and immune-supportive properties.
Butter is one of only two dietary sources (other than mother’s milk for babies) of an important medium-chain fatty acid known as 12-carbon lauric acid. Butterfat contains high amounts of this highly-protective anti-fungal and anti-tumoral agent, as does coconut oil. (A quick side note here: despite recent news stories that coconut is not healthy because it’s a saturated fat, in my opinion it is the premiere alternative to butter for those who don’t consume animal products. One reason is that it also contains exceptionally high levels of medium-chain triglycerides.)
Other important factors that solidify grass-fed butter’s superfood status include:
» A near-perfect balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids
» High levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a powerful anti-cancer nutrient that promotes healthy muscle tone while inhibiting weight gain (in the form of fat)
» High levels of both lecithin and cholesterol – lecithin acting as a natural facilitator to promote optimal assimilation and metabolization of cholesterol (and other fat constituents)
» Rich in glycophingolipids, a type of fat that is highly protective of the GI tract
» Densely packed with trace minerals like manganese, zinc, chromium, iodine – and especially selenium – all of which are easily absorbed because of butter’s wide array of metabolic cofactors
Here at the Bollinger house, we never go without grass-fed butter and coconut oil (expeller-pressed for cooking and extra-virgin for raw consumption). These are our go-to sources of saturated fat and corresponding vital nutrients, and two of the best superfoods that a human being can eat.
Editor’s Note: This article was initially published in 2021 and has been updated in 2024.
In the books
Lets Play Doctor by Dr. Ma Lan. Dr. Joel Wallach (The book tells what vitamins you are short of)
Lets Play Herbal Doctor by Dr. Ma Lan Dr. Joel Wallach
it says margarine causes age spots on the hands (been there, done that) but the good news is when you stop eating margarine the age spots go away (been there, done that)
It is interesting do you need any margarine or butter on the bread (been there, done that)
Some spreads takes a bit of getting used to like honey or jam (been there, done that) but others you can not tell the difference.
Some years ago I used to get a sandwich made and I had to ask them not to put margarine or butter on it, I got sick of it having wait something like ten minutes or more, So then I gave it up, it was quicker to go to a fruit & vegetable shop, a few months later I went to the doctor, he took my blood pressure with an automatic blood pressure device, then he quickly pulled his stethoscope out of the desk draw and listened to the sound of my heart and said “Do you know? you have the lowest blood pressure for your age group” I would of been in the early 60’s then
A few years ago the same doctor wanted to put me on drugs to lower my weight, instead I stopped eating the bread and ate more mixed vegetables (Atkins diet) I lost 10 Kg over a month, half that time I was stuck in hospital and could not do my daily walking to keep the weight down.
Just recently I got a email that gave the most common cause of cancer, the first item on the list was GE food, then it hit me, 99.9% of the bread sold in the shops is bread made with GE wheat.
Now I eat coconut bread.
I would like to know if all grass fed brands of butter are equal. We’ve bought the Kerry Gold for years but had some Amish made butter at a relatives and it had more flavor making me wonder if our’s was as good nutritionally. Is there way to find out about all the brands and which might be the healthiest?
Diane
Butter contains palmitic acid which causes cancer to metastasize. See Dr Greger’s latest video on this.
What about Grass Fed Raw Milk?
https://returntonow.net/2018/08/17/why-youve-never-heard-of-the-mayo-clinics-raw-milk-cure/
Because of this article my husband who has a tumor and I have been drinking a couple glasses a day.
Is our faith misplaced. It Grass Fed Raw Milk good or bad?
What about IGF-1 growth hormone in dairy? Does this not promote cancer growth? I need to know, because I am battling cancer and LOVE butter.Thanks,
Speaking of healthy fatty acids, Butter contains very high amounts of Butyric Acid, which is the favorite fuel for Colon cells.