LOW-FAT (41-PERCENT) BUTTER USE DECREASES BUTTER LIPID INTAKE OVER 4-WEEK TRIALS IN HEALTHY-PERSONS

All members of 18 families (n=75; ages from 1 to 65 years) participate d in a cross-over study of butter usage. Two types of butter were comp ared: regular (82%) fat) and low-fat (41%) butters. Butter was supplie d to the families by the laboratory for use in raw (spread) form over two successive periods of 5 weeks (first week served as training). No other butter was allowed. The number of consumers (75) remained consta nt throughout the study. Over four consecutive weeks, the families con sumed as much low-fat as regular butter (10.70+/-1 g versus 10.06+/-1. 17 g per day per person). However, lipid intake from butter was signif icantly reduced during the low-fat butter period as compared to the re gular butter period (4.39+/-0.41 g versus 8.25+/-0.96 g per day per pe rson, p=0.0005). Since previous studies showed that nutrient-specific compensatory intake is unlikely it is suggested that use of low-fat bu tter can facilitate a reduction in fat intake over extended periods of time in healthy persons. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited