The Latest About Butter, According To The Country's Leading Scientists

For over 100 years, butter has been the topic of debate. During that course of time, butter substitutes like margarine and olive oil have fallen into favor — at least temporarily. In the year 2014, however, there is more praise than condemnation for butter. In fact, the trendy Bulletproof Diet would even have you put butter in your coffee every day. That may be drastic, but using butter in moderation has become part of a healthy diet.

Click here for Butter vs. Margarine and 7 Other Food Face-Offs slideshow.

For many years, butter was looked down upon by the health community because of its saturated fat content. However, not all fats are created equal. Originally, we were told to steer clear of saturated fats, but Alice Lichtenstein, the top scientist guiding the U.S. government's nutrition recommendations, announced in 2014 that low-fat diets should be avoided.

Interestingly enough, a recent study published by The BMJ found that trans fats increase the risk of heart disease and death, but saturated fats do not increase those risks. Food journalist Mark Bittman defends butter, claiming that the real culprit is processed foods. Bittman states that although we are led to believe that low-fat alternatives such as margarine, which are made with processed oils and other ingredients, are good substitutes for butter, the eliminated fat is replaced with more harmful ingredients.

The verdict? Butter can be consumed in moderation because it does contain healthy properties, such as fat-soluble vitamins, that are key to maintaining a healthy weight.

The accompanying slideshow is provided by fellow Daily Meal editorial staff member Kristie Collado.