Contrary to what is written there, butter is not a notable source of vitamin
K2. Good sources of vitamin K2 are some cheeses (Dutch Edam and Gouda),
chicken, turkey, and especially the Japanese fermented soyfood /natto/.

Anonymous said...

I grew up raised on margarine.

As young teenagers, my #1 Bud's Mom would always make us the BEST real
buttered grilled cheese sandwiches! That's how I learned. "Mom, can I have
dinner over at Don's house tonight? Please??" Don's Mom would always get on
the phone to Mom and lie to her. "Chicken and rice." "Yes and milk!" LOL!!!
She thought my Mom was nuts using margarine, and told me so!

And the cycle would repeat. Then I got acne! STRI-DEX, Phisohex. Crime of
the century.

And I think Mom could tell a butter shirt stain from a margarine one but
she never said a thing.

When I left home for college I jumped ship to butter.

Given butter's purity, it's still way better than margarine! In the same
vein that marijuana is way better than alcohol.

I did know how to cook with butter and marijuana, a little of this, a
little of that and [pluck] ONE hair of newt. :D

Andy
<@)

Westonaprice.org deserves a lot of skepticism.

Butter has considerable saturated fat which can lead to
atherosclerosis.

Margarine in the past had a considerable amount of transfats which are
more dangerous than saturated fats. Currently, saturated fats are
being substituted for the transfats, so the danger of atherosclerosis
isn't reduced.

Many people are dipping their bread in olive oil instead of using
margarine or butter and avoiding the health danger.

Of course, nut butters are another healthy addition to breads.

--
   Ron

FYI:

A worldwide survey of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins,
dibenzofurans, and related contaminants in butter.
The main source of human exposure to persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) is, in general, food. In this study, 64 butter samples from 37
countries were analyzed to assess the global contamination of
polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs),
biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and 2,2-bis (4-
chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (DDT) together with its major
metabolites. The objectives of the study were to assess the presence
of major organohalogen contaminants in butter, to trace geographical
differences, and to determine toxic equivalents (TEQs) of PCDDs/Fs and
dioxin-like PCBs in butter. The highest PCDD/F concentrations were
found in butter from Korea with an average of 1.4 pg TEQ g(-1) lipid
weight (l.w.). from PCDD/F and an additional contribution from the
non- and mono-ortho-PCBs of 0.55 pg TEQ g(-1) l.w. Belgian butter
showed average levels of 0.53 and 1.2 pg TEQ g(-1) l.w. for PCDDs/Fs
and PCBs, respectively, but one sample of Belgium butter had a total
TEQ level as high as 4.0 pg TEQ g(-1) l.w. Three out of five butter
samples from Portugal showed similarly high PCDD/F TEQ levels. The
sigmaPCB levels in European butter appeared to be somewhat higher than
in the samples from the rest of the world. The average contribution of
CB-153 to the total PCB concentration was 22% (SD 6.4, coefficient of
variation 29%). Generally, the PCBs contributed around 60% of the
total TEQ value, with CB-126 contributing approximately half of this
value. This shows the important TEQ contribution from dioxinlike PCBs
to the total TEQs. The highest HCB levels were found in butter samples
from Russia, Ukraine, Belgium, and Slovenia. Low levels of HCB in
butter were generally found in the Southern Hemisphere. Butter samples
from countries from Eastern Europe had elevated sigmaDDT
concentrations, with a particularly high concentration in Ukraine
butter, followed by some Russian samples, Brazil, and the U.S. PMID:
16521833

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/
.... tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) of 70 picogram/kg per month.

A 180 lb person consuming 48g of Belgium butter (approx 1/2 a stick)
in one day will have ingested the maximum tolerable amount of dioxin.

http://www.newcastleyoga.com.au/links/Food%20AGEs%20text.pdf
Advance Glycation Products (AGEs) in selected foods prepared by
standard cooking methods:

Food item AGE (kU/g or /mL of food)
Fats
Almonds, roasted  66.5 kU/g
Oil, olive  120 kU/mL
Butter  265 kU/g
Mayonnaise  94 kU/g

Proteins
Chicken breast, broiled15 min  58 kU/g
Chicken breast, fried15 min  61 kU/g
Beef, boiled1 h  22 kU/g
Beef, broiled15 min  60 kU/g
Tuna, roasted40 min  6 kU/g
Tuna, broiled10 min  51 kU/g
Cheese, American  87 kU/g
Cheese, Brie  56 kU/g
Egg, fried  27 kU/g
Egg yolk, boiled  12 kU/g
Tofu, raw  8 kU/g
Tofu, broiled  41 kU/g

Carbohydrates
Bread, whole-wheat center  0.54 kU/g
Pancake, homemade  10 kU/g
Milk, cow, whole  0.05 kU/mL
Milk, human, whole  0.05 kU/mL
Enfamil (infant formula)  4.86 kU/mL
Apple  0.13 kU/g
Banana  0.01 kU/g
Carrots  0.1 kU/g
Green beans  0.18 kU/g

Spatial biomonitoring of persistent organic pollutants in Iran: a
study using locally produced butter.
Butter is a readily collected, integrative and inexpensive sampling
matrix for the spatial mapping of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
at the national or regional scale. As air-plant-animal transfers
generally supply the POPs reaching butter lipid, this study used
butter for an initial evaluation of the occurrence, levels and
distribution of POPs (selected organochlorine pesticides and PCBs) in
Iran, a country for which very little information on usage, emissions
and environmental burdens of these compounds exists. Fifty samples
from rural and urban areas, in the north, west and central regions of
the country were collected from local farms in spring 2007.
Concentrations of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE varied widely by a factor of
approximately 1000 and approximately 370 (8450 pg g(-1) lipid and 46
800 pg g(-1) lipid on average). The highest levels, found mainly in
urban areas in the centre of the country, were amongst the highest
reported in the world. PCB concentrations (4320 pg g(-1) lipid on
average) varied by a factor of approximately 160 and were highest
close to urban centres and lowest in the rural northwest. Although
Iran is not known for widespread PCB usage in the past, concentrations
were higher than a 'global average' reported in a butter survey in
2001. This simple sampling approach could be adopted in other regions
where cows graze, as part of an initial screening to help meet
obligations under the Stockholm Convention. PMID: 18688454

Monitoring of some organochlorine pesticide residues of butter in
Konya, Turkey.
Some organochlorine pesticide residues were investigated in the
samples of all local commercial butter brands sold in the supermarket
in Konya (Turkey). Some of the samples were found to have the DDT
complex (DDT, DDD, DDE and isomers), total HCH complex (alpha-HCH,
beta-HCH, gamma-HCH), aldrin, dieldrin and endosulfan (I and II).
Nearly 94% of the butter samples were found to be contaminated. Endrin
and heptachlorine were detected in three and two samples,
respectively, while 87% of samples were contaminated by one or more
HCH isomers. 78% of the organochlorine pesticide was DDT and/or its
metabolites. These results confirmed that butters sold in Konya
presented organochlorine pesticide residues indicating a human
exposure. PMID: 16334269

Monitoring of butter and ghee (clarified butter fat) for pesticidal
contamination from cotton belt of Haryana, India.
Butter (45) and ghee (55) samples were collected from rural and urban
areas of cotton growing belt of Haryana and analysed for detecting the
residues of organochlorine, synthetic pyrethroid and organophosphate
insecticides. The estimation was carried out by using multi residue
analytical technique employing GC-ECD and GC-NPD systems equipped with
capillary columns. Butter samples were comparatively more contaminated
(97%) than ghee (94%), showing more contamination with organochlorine
insecticides from urban samples. About 11% samples of butter showed
endosulfan residues above minimum residue limit (MRL) value and 2%
samples had residues of synthetic pyrethroids and organophosphates
each above their respective MRL values. In ghee, residues of HCH & DDT
both and of endosulfan exceeded the MRL values in 5 and 20% samples,
respectively. Among organophosphates, only chlorpyriphos was detected
with 9% samples showing its residue above MRL value. Irrespective of
contamination levels, residues above the MRL values were more in ghee.
More extensive study covering other agricultural regions/zones of
Haryana has been suggested to know the overall scenario of
contamination of milk products. PMID: 15952515

Contamination of liquid milk and butter with pesticide residues in the
Ludhiana district of Punjab state, India.
An analysis of 92 samples of liquid milk from Ludhiana, India, during
1999-2001 revealed the presence of DDT in 6 (7.4%) samples and of
these 2 samples were found to exceed the maximum residue limit (MRL)
of DDT fixed at 0.05 mg kg(-1) (on a whole milk basis). HCH residues
were detected in 49 (53.3%) samples and constituted only gamma-HCH
(lindane). The MRL of lindane is fixed at 0.01 mg kg(-1) (whole milk
basis), and all 49 liquid milk samples exceeded this value. These
results are indicative of contamination of bovine milk with pesticide
residues as a result of the ban on the use of DDT and HCH in
agriculture and public health programs. Similarly, analysis of 40
samples of butter showed the presence of DDT and HCH in 28 and 8
samples, respectively. However, none of the samples exceeded the MRL
value of either DDT or any isomer of HCH. DDT residues comprised
mainly p,p-DDE and p,p-TDE, whereas HCH residues were present as
lindane in 6 samples, and 2 samples revealed the presence of beta-HCH.
The estimated daily intake of lindane through the consumption of
contaminated liquid milk exceeded its acceptable daily intake value
for children. Interestingly, none of the liquid milk or butter samples
revealed the presence of any commonly used organophosphorus or
synthetic pyrethroid insecticides at their detection limit of 0.01 mg
kg(-1). PMID: 15388272

Persistent organochlorine pesticides in Mexican butter.
Organochlorine pesticides have been used in Mexico in malaria control
programmes against ectoparasites and as seed dresser. Owing to their
chemical stability, they tend to accumulate in the lipid part of the
organisms. The stored pesticides are excreted with the endogenous fat
during milk production. The aim was to monitor the organochlorine
pesticide levels in butter manufactured in Mexico. .... The decreased
DDT levels in Mexican butters is caused by the substitution of
organochlorine insecticides with pyrethroids used by the Mexican
Ministry of Health since 1999 in sanitary programmes. PMID: 12775478

The global distribution of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in
butter.
In this study we explored the use of butter as a sampling matrix to
reflect the regional and global scale distribution of PCBs and
selected organochlorine pesticides/metabolites in air. This was
because persistent organic pollutants (POPs) concentrate in dairy
fats, where concentrations are controlled by feed intake (primarily
from pasture/silage), which is in turn primarily controlled by
atmospheric deposition. Butter sigmaPCB concentrations varied by a
factor of approximately 60 in 63 samples from 23 countries. They were
highest in European and North American butter and lowest in southern
hemisphere (Australian, New Zealand) samples, consistent with known
patterns of historical global usage and estimated emissions.
Concentrations in butter reflected differences in the propensity of
PCB congeners to undergo long range atmospheric transport from global
source regions to remote areas and the relatively even distribution of
HCB in the global atmosphere. Concentrations of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE,
and HCH isomers all varied over many orders of magnitude in the butter
samples, with highest levels in areas of current use (e.g. India and
south/central America for DDT; India, China, and Spain for HCH). We
conclude that butter is sensitive to local, regional, and global scale
spatial and temporal atmospheric trends of many POPs and may therefore
provide a useful sampling medium for monitoring purposes. However, to
improve the quantitative information derived on air concentrations
requires an awareness of climatic and livestock management factors
which influence air-milk fat transfer processes.
PMID: 11347908

Residues of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in fatty foods of the
Canadian diet.
Market basket samples representative of food from six Canadian cities
were surveyed from 1992 to 1996. Fifty composites of fatty foods,
prepared for consumption were analysed for 40 PCB congeners by gas
chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fish and butter contained the
highest total PCB concentrations, while milk and infant foods
contained the lowest. The dairy and meat composites were major
contributors to the total PCB intake of 5.7 ng/kg/day, and to the TEQ
(2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-p-dibenzodioxin equivalent) intake of 0.11 pg/kg/
day. The pattern of congeners was similar for the different food
groups with the exception of fish, which contained less tri- and tetra-
chlorinated biphenyls and more of the hexachlorinated congener No.
153. PMID: 9534869

For more related abstracts, search www.pubmed.com for "butter TCDD",
"butter dioxin", "butter pesticide".

I'm suspicious of any organisation that promotes homeopathy as a treatment
for high blood pressure.

Nevertheless, I prefer butter.  I believe in (but don't always follow)
"Moderation in all things" and "A little bit of what you fancy does you
good."

Graham

Well, it is partly valid if I know what as put in the cow that made the milk
from which butter is produced.

But I am absolutely certain that margarine was one of three causes of
arthritis I had when a doctor expected surgery. I totally eliminated the
problem by stopping margarine, anything fried, and process cheese. That was
about 14 years ago, no arthritis has returned.

marvin

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