Butter is not that bad for health but may have earned a bad reputation because it so often spread on unhealthy foods, such as white bread, new research suggests.

A review of nine studies involving more than 600,000 people found that butter was only weakly associated with total mortality, and not linked to cardiovascular disease at all. It even seemed to protect, slightly, against diabetes.

Although traditionally dieticians have advised people to cut down on animals fats, in the last year multiple studies have shown that they are unlikely to raise the risk of stroke, heart disease or diabetes.

The researchers said butter was a ‘middle of the road’ food which was unlikely to do much harm, but people could lower their risk of heart problems by switching to healthy fats like extra-virgin olive oil.