(AFP) Eating butter may not be all that bad for your arteries, it seems. A new study, published in Plos One, covering 15 countries, 636,151 unique individuals and 6.5 million person-years, has found no direct link between butter and heart disease. This animal fat could even be a better choice than sugar or starch (e.g., white bread, potatoes).

A team of scientists has investigated the possible link between regular butter consumption and heart disease, including coronary artery disease, stroke and diabetes.

The team analyzed data from nine eligible studies covering 636,151 unique individuals worldwide and a total of 6.5 million person-years of follow-up. They found that butter had minimal impact on mortality, heart disease and diabetes.

During the combined period of study, there were 28,271 participant deaths, 9,783 cases of heart disease and 23,954 cases of new-onset type 2 diabetes.

Average butter consumption across the nine studies ranged from around 1/3 of a serving per day to 3.2 servings per day. A serving size of butter consumption was standardized across the studies to 14g per day, or roughly one tablespoon, which is the US Department of Agriculture's estimation for one serving.

"Even though people who eat more butter generally have worse diets and lifestyles, it seemed to be pretty neutral overall," explains Laura Pimpin Ph.D. of Tufts University, Boston, USA.

In conclusion, the best recipe for butter is moderation. There's no need to demonize butter and exclude it from diets, but, at the same time, you shouldn't go overboard with butter on bread, pasta or in cooked dishes. In any case, the scientists suggest that butter may be a healthier choice than sugar or starch found in the white bread or potatoes with which it's often eaten.

In fact, the scientists underline that sugar and starch are linked to increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. Butter is, however, a worse choice than certain margarines and cooking oils, which can be rich in healthy fats like soybean, canola, flaxseed and extra virgin olive oils. These are more likely to lower the risk of heart disease compared with butter, starch and sugar.

The study is available here: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0158118