Is butter good or bad for health?

Butter is neither purely good nor bad. It can fit into meals in small amounts, but eating it in large quantities regularly may affect cholesterol and weight over time.

Does butter contain milk, and is it an allergen?

Yes, butter is made from milk and is a declared allergen in India. People with a milk allergy must not eat butter or foods containing it.

Can butter raise cholesterol?

Butter is high in saturated fat, and regularly eating a lot of saturated fat can raise LDL, the type of cholesterol linked to heart disease risk.

Is butter suitable for people who are lactose intolerant?

Butter contains only small amounts of lactose since most of it stays in the liquid removed during churning, but some lactose intolerant people may still react to it.

Why do packaged foods use butter?

Butter is used in packaged foods mainly for its taste, smell, and ability to make baked goods soft and rich.

Butter

butter

Butter is a fat made from milk, often used in packaged foods for taste and texture. It adds saturated fat and calories, so eating a lot of it regularly may affect heart health over time.

Declarable allergen

India requires this to be named on the label of any packaged food that contains it.

On India’s declarable allergen list as: Milk and milk products including lactose

What it is

Butter is made by churning cream or milk until the fat separates from the liquid. It is mostly milk fat along with a small amount of water and milk solids. People have made and eaten butter for thousands of years, and in packaged foods it is used fresh or melted into the mix during manufacturing.

Nutrition

Butter is mainly fat, most of it saturated fat, with very little protein or carbohydrate. It contains small amounts of vitamin A and other fat soluble vitamins. It is calorie dense, meaning a small amount adds a noticeable number of calories.

How it can affect health

Can affect: Eating butter in small amounts is generally fine for most people. Eating large amounts regularly can raise blood cholesterol levels and add extra calories that may contribute to weight gain over time.

May contribute to:

raised LDL cholesterol
weight gain
heart disease risk over time

Who should limit it

People allergic to milk must not eat butter, since it is a declared allergen made from milk. People with lactose intolerance may also react to the small amount of milk solids left in butter. People managing high cholesterol or heart conditions may want to pay attention to how much saturated fat they get from foods containing butter.

Where it is found

In India, butter is commonly used in biscuits, cookies, cakes, pastries, bread, and ready to eat snacks for flavor and softness. It is also used as a spread and in some sauces and ready meals.

Also written as

The same word, written in another script

Makhanen

A different word for the same thing

Anhydrous Milk Faten
Butter (Milk Solids)en
Butter Oilen
Desi Butteren
Salted Butteren
Unsalted Butteren
White Butteren

Names in other languages

English: Butter
हिन्दी: मक्खन
मराठी: लोणी
বাংলা: মাখন
தமிழ்: வெண்ணெய்
తెలుగు: బటర్
ಕನ್ನಡ: ಬಟರ್

Products on Laddoo that list it

In alphabetical order.

Matched against each printed ingredient list. A pack not listed here may still contain it under a name we have not matched: check its label.

Questions people ask

Is butter good or bad for health?: Butter is neither purely good nor bad. It can fit into meals in small amounts, but eating it in large quantities regularly may affect cholesterol and weight over time.
Does butter contain milk, and is it an allergen?: Yes, butter is made from milk and is a declared allergen in India. People with a milk allergy must not eat butter or foods containing it.
Can butter raise cholesterol?: Butter is high in saturated fat, and regularly eating a lot of saturated fat can raise LDL, the type of cholesterol linked to heart disease risk.
Is butter suitable for people who are lactose intolerant?: Butter contains only small amounts of lactose since most of it stays in the liquid removed during churning, but some lactose intolerant people may still react to it.
Why do packaged foods use butter?: Butter is used in packaged foods mainly for its taste, smell, and ability to make baked goods soft and rich.