The Real Reason You May Want To Avoid Salted Butter

Butter is truly a gift that can make almost anything taste loads better. When in doubt, you can simply spread butter on a slice of toast and know that you'll be able to eat a comforting snack almost immediately. Butter is a dairy product with uncomplicated origins: it's simply made by churning milk. Home chefs can get access to different kinds of butter at the supermarket like salted, unsalted, clarified, and grass-fed. 

One of butter's biggest benefits is that it is a versatile ingredient that can be used to add flavor to all kinds of dishes. Whether you're baking a creamy and indulgent dessert or making a fresh batch of comforting pasta, butter can elevate the flavors in your dish with ease. However, it must be noted that some types of butter may not be as good for you as others. Salted butter, for example, may not be the best option after all.

According to Taste of Home, different brands tend to add salt to their butter in varying amounts. Why? Well, salt helps butter last longer: as much as five months compared to unsalted butter that can stay good for three months or so. Also, it works well in all kinds of savory dishes, where salt is already a welcome presence. 

While both the salted and unsalted versions can have their advantages and help add rich flavors to your meals, you'll be better off using the unsalted variety for the sake of your health. Unsalted butter has no sodium while the salted version has 90 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon. Ouch! This isn't good news for those who are trying to keep their sodium levels in check. Basically, unsalted butter ensures that the sodium content in your food is lower, and allows a greater control over the salt content of what you cook. 

Another good point to remember is that certain items like bread already have salt in them. Adding salted butter in such cases makes your snack unhealthier. As per the FDA, everyone should consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day to avoid conditions such as hypertension.