Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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When butter is used to cook, is the PUFA content oxidized? The PUFA percentage is small, but it's still a concern to me. Should I be concerned about heating it too much?

I'm thinking that if the butter is grass-fed, there are sufficient antioxidants. I'd like to see some links to articles/studies on the topic.

flag	asked Jul 31 at 18:49 Kelvin 283●1●6

	To be safe I just use coconut oil or grass fed tallow to fry in, and if I want butter flavor I just pour melted butter all over it at the end – Robert Sep 21 at 0:46
	ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17392082 – David Moss Feb 12 at 16:16

Alvaro · Answer 1 · 2012-07-31 19:50:09Z UTC

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The smoking point of Butter is 325ºF, i think above that temp. some oxidation may occur.

Moral of the story, don't use Butter for High temp. Or prolonged cooking.

edited Jul 31 at 19:50

answered Jul 31 at 19:19

Alvaro
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The smoke point is low because of the dissolved solids in butter. Rendered butter (aka ghee) has a quite high smoke point (485°F). – Matt Jul 31 at 19:35

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That doesn't necessarily relate to the smoke point either. Coconut oil is largely saturated yet has a lower smoke point than most other plant oils. – Matt Jul 31 at 19:38

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I think the milk proteins will brown and burn long before anything happens to the PUFA in the butter. – Matt Jul 31 at 19:45

Do not fry food using oil rich in PUFAs: Avoid using oils that contain high levels of omega-3 or omega-6 PUFAs for frying because they are highly prone to oxidation due to their high levels of unsaturation. Oxidation produces free radicals and other compounds that are detrimental to your health. – Alvaro Jul 31 at 19:46

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That's not how chemical kinetics works. Reactions happen at all temperatures, they usually scale exponentially with temperature though. – miked Oct 5 at 1:26

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Anon · Answer 2 · 2013-02-12 16:08:19Z UTC

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Butter is ok for low temperature cooking, use refined coconut for higher temperatures.

answered Feb 12 at 16:08

Anon
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	What's the deal with many people suggesting refined coconut oil lately? Unless it's specifically says "not chemically refined", avoid refined coconut oil like you would any other industrial food oil. Stick to the unrefined coconut oil for most uses, and other fats or oils for very high temperature cooking. – greymouser Feb 12 at 16:14
	When it comes to cooking, it has a much higher smoke point. Also, some people who are allergic to regular coconut oil can take the refined one without a problem. The one I use is not chemically refined, it's expeller-pressed coconut oil from tropical traditions. – Anon Feb 12 at 17:16

Anon · Answer 3 · 2013-02-26 18:43:45Z UTC

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You can use ghee (which is made from butter) for high temperature cooking. You can also make ghee from butter, google can help you find instructions.

answered Feb 26 at 18:43

Anon
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Cow butter for cooking - do the PUFAs stay intact?

3 Answers