Butter

Food · Fat & Oil · Food, Typed Supps

A real source of vitamin A — and the fat that helps you absorb it from vegetables too.

Stage by stage

Intake (Solid dairy fat): Melts and begins breaking down with body heat and chewing.
Stomach (Fat digestion begins): Fat digestion begins, requiring bile for proper emulsification.
Small intestine (Vitamin A absorbed): Vitamin A and other fat-soluble compounds are absorbed alongside the fat itself.
Skin & vision-related tissue (Vitamin A support): Absorbed vitamin A supports skin cell turnover and vision.

Timing

A small amount added to vegetables can help absorb their fat-soluble nutrients, like beta-carotene.

Time to effect

Weeks: Regular intake contributes to vitamin A status.

Allergens

Contains: Milk. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Gluten-free.

Satiety

30 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — low. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

3.2 kg CO2e and 628 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Milk" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £8 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Vitamin A (preformed)
Saturated fat
Butyrate (a short-chain fat)

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 733.5
Protein: 1.1g
Carbohydrate: 0.6g
of which sugars: 0.6g
Fat: 82.2g
of which saturated: 56.9g
Fibre: 0g
Sodium: 776mg

Food vs. supplement

Butter provides preformed vitamin A directly, similar to a retinol supplement, rather than the beta-carotene form found in plant foods that the body must convert first.

Kitchen tip

Grass-fed butter has a modestly different fatty acid profile than conventional, though the difference is smaller than marketing often implies.

Common myth

“Butter has no nutritional value beyond fat and calories.” In reality: It genuinely provides preformed vitamin A and, in smaller amounts, butyrate — though its saturated fat content is still a relevant consideration for overall diet.