TRENOS SiGINT: Butter vs Plant-Oil – JAMA 2025
- JC - Analyst
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
JC Analyst: 1 Sept 2025
Signal:
A landmark U.S. cohort study, published May 2025 in JAMA Internal Medicine, provides fresh evidence that unsaturated plant oils significantly reduce mortality compared to butter. Drawing on 33 years of follow-up across >221,000 adults, the study validates dietary guidelines and challenges the rising anti-seed-oil narrative.
Human Factor:
Consumers are being whiplashed between TikTok wellness influencers warning against “toxic seed oils” and the long arc of evidence-based nutrition. This study gives households clear, practical swaps - a drizzle of plant-oil like olive, sunflower or soy oil, instead of a pat of butter. Accessible, affordable, and life-saving, but thats if messaging cuts through the noise.
TRENOS Metrics Snapshot
Signal | Data Point |
Study Origin | JAMA Internal Medicine, May 2025 (Mass General Brigham/Harvard) |
Cohort Size | 221,000+ U.S. adults, 33-year follow-up |
TikTok Views | |
Retail Footprint | Oils: global pantry staple; butter: 2024 global sales ~$44bn |
Ingredient Format | Butter (dairy fat) vs. plant oils (olive, canola, soybean, corn) |
Product Range | Everyday cooking fats, spreads, bakery inputs |
Consumer Segment | 30–70yr households; pre-diabetic, heart-health aware |
Brand Origin | Olive oil → EU/Mediterranean; canola → Canada/US; soy → US/China |
Export Status | Oils are globally traded commodities; butter heavily NZ/EU export-linked |
Trend Classification | Functional nutrition → Fat substitution |
System Pressure Point | Public health costs, national dietary guidelines, foodservice oil policy |
ENDS:
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