In today’s consumer awareness and social media world, every new trend takes only a few moments to spread across the world. Whether it is Gigi Hadid’s famous pasta or the Dalgona coffee recipe, it takes barely a few days for people worldwide to learn about it and give the popular online trend a try.
Because of such times, the global consumer has become aware of the benefits of consuming a plant-based vegan diet. Just like the ever-growing popularity of plant-based vegan milk forms, vegan butter also seems to continuously gain the attention of the consumers with every passing day. With celebrities and social media influencers vouching for it, people are excited to give it a try.
However, you shouldn’t follow all trends blindly. Some social media trends may seem attractive and convincing; however, in reality, they are much more harmful to your body and mind.
This brings us to vegan butter. Is vegan butter healthier for you than regular butter?
Continue reading to learn about vegan butter and why it is a topic of controversy in the culinary world. Let’s get started!
What is Vegan Butter?
Just like regular non-vegan butter is made from animal-produced milk, vegan butter is produced from plant-based vegan milk forms such as coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc.
Vegan butter soon gained popularity after it was advertised as a healthy animal butter substitute as it is made from natural plant ingredients. Consumers, food establishments, and internet chefs soon began to replace their regular animal-based butter with vegan butter in their everyday diets.
Moreover, it gave people dealing with lactose intolerance a chance to enjoy lactogen-free butter and incorporate it into their everyday recipes. Furthermore, regular people who otherwise had no problem consuming animal-produced milk and butter also began switching to vegan butter for its rich taste and creamy consistency.
Vegan butter usually contains a blend of different plant-based oils, salt, and water. Such oils include palm oil, coconut oil, kernel oil, avocado oil, olive oil, peanut oil, etc.
Is Vegan Butter Healthier for You?
The common perception regarding vegan butter was that just like plant-based vegan milk forms, vegan butter is a low-calorie butter substitute that is healthier, more nutritious, and can help a person lose weight.
However, in reality, the truth was quite different. Soon after its global popularity, vegan butter came under extreme scrutiny and was criticized for being significantly unhealthier than regular butter.
The following are some reasons why vegan butter is unhealthy:
Vegan Butter has Significantly Higher Amounts of Calories
Although vegan and plant-based food items are often linked with low-calorie diets, this is not always the case. The common plant-based oils that go into making vegan butter are extremely rich in calories and can cause a lot of weight gain.
This is especially the case when the main oils in the vegan butter are either coconut oil or palm kernel oil, both of which have significantly high amounts of calories.
A helpful tip to remember is to always check the ingredients mentioned on the container’s label when purchasing vegan butter. If coconut oil or palm kernel oil are mentioned at the top of the ingredients list, avoid purchasing that vegan butter.
Vegan Butter Has High Amounts of Dangerous Saturated Fats
According to medical experts, consuming foods with high amounts of saturated fats can increase an individual’s risk of heart-related diseases such as heart attacks and blocked arteries.
Vegan butter with high amounts of coconut oil or palm kernel oils is linked with increased dangers of heart diseases. This is because palm kernel oil and coconut oil are nearly 85% and 83% saturated fats, respectively.
On the other hand, olive oil is only 15% saturated fats. Hence, if one wants to consume vegan butter, they need to read the ingredients label to check the position of olive oil on the list.
Vegan Butter Has Low Amounts of Essential Vitamins
Several vitamins are essential parts of a person’s diet as they help fight different diseases while regulating normal bodily functions. Vegan butter lacks a lot of vitamins, such as vitamins K, A, and D. Hence, the butter is not enough for a fully balanced diet.
Vegan Butter Has High Amounts of Sodium
Vegan butter has significantly higher amounts of sodium compared to regular butter. Excessive consumption of sodium is linked with heart disease and weight gain.
