Unsalted Butter Nutrition Benefits and Facts

Nutritional summary

Unsalted butter is primarily composed of saturated fat, which accounts for approximately 60% of its total fat content .
Major health institutions, including the USDA and Harvard Nutrition Source, recommend limiting butter intake in favor of healthy oils like olive or canola to support cardiovascular health .
Unlike salted varieties, unsalted butter allows for better control of sodium intake, which is a key recommendation in heart-healthy dietary patterns like the DASH diet .
While butter contains cholesterol and fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin A, it lacks the fiber and significant protein found in other dairy or plant-based fat sources .

Interesting fact

In the 19th century, butter was often used as a medium for preserving other foods because its high fat content creates an anaerobic environment that inhibits bacterial growth.

Standout nutrients

EPIC

SOURCE

Vitamin A

EPIC

SOURCE

Retinol

SUPER

SOURCE

Sum n-3 fatty acids

GREAT

SOURCE

Chromium

742

kcal per 100g

Protein0.61g

Fat81.6g

Sugar0.50g

Fat breakdown

Polyunsat3.05g

Monounsat19.2g

Saturated48.6g

Trans2.87g

Seasonality

Not available

Diet

VegetarianPescatarianGluten FreeKetoLow Fodmap

Sustainability

Heavier footprint

Dairy production is associated with significant greenhouse gas emissions and water usage compared to plant-based fats.

Confidencehigh

Storage

Refrigerate

1–3 months

Keep wrapped to prevent absorption of other food odors.

Freeze

6–12 months

Flavour

Data & Sources

Harmonized from 4 validated sources

French Food Database

1 contributing source food

Swiss Food Database

1 contributing source food

McCance & Widdowson

1 contributing source food

USDA

USDA FoodData Central

3 contributing source foods

Claim citations

Nutrient comparisons of margarine/margarine-like products, butter blend products and butter in the US marketplace in 2020 post-FDA ban on partially hydrogenated oils - PMC

[4]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Types of Fat - The Nutrition Source

[5]nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu

Salt and Sodium • The Nutrition Source

[9]nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu

Diet Review: DASH • The Nutrition Source

[10]nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu

Components of a Cardioprotective Diet New Insights - PMC

[11]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coverage

Nutrients

FoodCompass

19.7

Version

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