Butter vs. Cream cheese — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

by Jack Yacoubian | Last updated on May 04, 2023

Medically reviewed by Arpi Gasparyan

Summary

Butter is higher in calories, fats, and specifically saturated fats. It is richer in vitamins A, E, and K and lower in sodium. On the other hand, cream cheese is richer in protein, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, and B complex vitamins.

Introduction

Butter is made by churning milk or cream. It is semisolid at room temperature and may be used as a spread. In refrigerated forms, it is solid.

Since the agricultural ages, butter has been a part of the human diet with the domestication of animals. It is possible that butter was made from sheep's milk; nonetheless, cow's milk is today the most prevalent source of butter.

Cream cheese is a processed cheese obtained from processing milk with fermenting bacteria that coagulates milk. Cream cheese relatively retains water which gives it a creamy, spreadable texture.

On the other hand, cream cheese is a relatively more recent dairy food than butter. It was mainly popularized in the 19th century. Again it is nowadays mostly done with cow’s milk.

This article will discuss the difference between butter and cream cheese-based on their general differences, nutritional content comparison, and health impacts.

General differences

The general differences between butter and cream cheese are shelf life, texture, and flavor.

Shelf life

Butter has a longer shelf life than cream cheese, noting that both require refrigeration.

Texture and flavor

Butter has a flavor that is richer and fattier than cream cheese. They are both spreadable, but butter at refrigerated temperature is more solid.

Cream cheese has a lighter flavor.

Nutritional content comparison

Calories

Butter is twice as higher in calories as compared to cream cheese. The difference is very significant as 100g of butter contains 717 calories, whereas, in cream cheese, it is 350 calories.

Carbs

Butter contains negligible amounts of carbs. It is mostly fat. Cream cheese contains 5.5g of carbs per 100g. Butter contains fewer carbs than cream cheese; it has negligible carbs.

Glycemic index

They both contain glycemic indices equal to 0.

Proteins

Cream cheese contains higher amounts of protein than butter. The protein content of butter is almost negligible.

Fats

Butter is mainly composed of fats. 81g out of 100g of butter is fat. 34g out of 100g of cream cheese is fat. The difference between the fat distribution is of great importance.

Saturated fats are among the highest components of both these foods.

However, butter contains much higher amounts of saturated fats than cream cheese. Nearly 51% of butter is saturated fats.

In addition to that, butter is richer in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Minerals

The mineral profile of cream cheese is richer and more versatile than butter.

Cream cheese is richer in all minerals; however, the remarkable minerals are phosphorus, calcium, and zinc.

Important to note that butter is lower in sodium.

Below is the mineral distribution chart that displays the mineral distributions.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Butter

Cream cheese

Contains less SodiumSodium

-96.5%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+350%
Contains more CalciumCalcium	+304.2%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+450%
Contains more IronIron	+450%
Contains more CopperCopper	+12.5%
Contains more ZincZinc	+455.6%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+345.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+175%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+760%

Vitamins

Butter is richer in vitamins A, E, and K, whereas cream cheese is richer in the most vitamin B complex.

In the following chart, we can see the vitamin distribution.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Butter

Cream cheese

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+124.9%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+169.8%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+233.3%

Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+360%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+576.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+116.7%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+370%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+1766.7%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+29.4%
Contains more FolateFolate	+200%
Contains more CholineCholine	+44.7%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

Health impacts

Keto diet

Butter and cream cheese are suitable for the keto diet. However, butter is ideal because it contains negligible carbs and a glycemic index of 0.

Vegan diet

Butter and cream cheese are dairy products that cannot be consumed in the vegan diet.

What are the positive and negative effects of butter on overall health?

Butter has its negative and positive points on health.

Positive effects of butter

Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which reduces weight and pro-inflammatory proteins and cytokines in the body. (1) (2) (3)
Butter also contains butyrate, which has beneficial effects on the digestive system, reducing the symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Butyrate in butter has also been shown to control blood glucose levels and insulin intolerance positively. (4) (5)
Consumption of butter in low to moderate amounts has positive effects. The same effects become inverted if we consume butter in high amounts. Butter reduces the risks of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and strokes when consumed in low to moderate amounts. About high amount of consumption, we discuss it in the below section. (6) (7) (8)

Negative effects of butter

Frequent and high consumption of butter daily is linked with increased LDL levels, which increases the risks of cardiovascular diseases. (9)

Since butter is high in calories, it will lead to weight gain and other metabolic problems if eaten at uncontrolled and unmoderated levels. Thus it is crucial to keep track of the intake of calories.

What are the effects of cream cheese on overall health?

Positive effects

Cream cheese has positive effects on the digestive tract. It contains probiotic lactobacilli that help improve gut microbiota. In turn, there are positive effects on overall health. (10)

Cream cheese is low in lactose and thus can be consumed in minimal amounts by lactose-intolerant individuals. (11)

Negative effects

Lactose-intolerant people who consume too much cream cheese will have bloating and diarrhea. (12)

Cream cheese is processed cheese, and most cream cheese available in the markets is processed and has preservatives added to them. Consuming these cheese might have adverse side effects on overall health. In addition, cream cheese is packed with saturated fats, relatively lower than butter. Still, if not monitored, it will cause adverse effects on the health like obesity and cardiovascular diseases. (13)

Conclusion on health impacts

Overall, butter and cream cheese have positive and negative impacts.

Research mostly shows that butter or cream cheese consumption in low to moderate amounts has mostly positive effects on overall health.

The adverse effects are when unmonitored and high amounts of these foods are consumed.

References

Author name: Jack Yacoubian

Education: Haigazian Medical University

Last updated: May 04, 2023

Medically reviewed by Arpi Gasparyan

Infographic

Infographic link

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Butter

Protein: 0.85 g

Fats: 81.11 g

Carbs: 0.06 g

Water: 17.94 g

Other: 0.04 g

Cream cheese

Protein: 6.15 g

Fats: 34.44 g

Carbs: 5.52 g

Water: 52.62 g

Other: 1.27 g

Contains more FatsFats

+135.5%

Contains more ProteinProtein	+623.5%
Contains more CarbsCarbs	+9100%
Contains more WaterWater	+193.3%
Contains more OtherOther	+3075%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Butter

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 50.489 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 23.43 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 3.01 g

Cream cheese

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 20.213 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 8.907 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.483 g

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat	+163.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+103%

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat

-60%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.


Lower in Cholesterol
Lower in Saturated Fat
Rich in minerals
Rich in vitamins
Lower in Sugar
Lower in Sodium
Lower in price
Lower in Glycemic Index	Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient			Opinion
Calories	717kcal	350kcal
Protein	0.85g	6.15g
Fats	81.11g	34.44g
Net carbs	0.06g	5.52g
Carbs	0.06g	5.52g
Cholesterol	215mg	101mg
Magnesium	2mg	9mg
Calcium	24mg	97mg
Potassium	24mg	132mg
Iron	0.02mg	0.11mg
Sugar	0.06g	3.76g
Copper	0.016mg	0.018mg
Zinc	0.09mg	0.5mg
Starch		0.35g
Phosphorus	24mg	107mg
Sodium	11mg	314mg
Vitamin A	2499IU	1111IU
Vitamin A	684µg	308µg
Vitamin E	2.32mg	0.86mg
Manganese	0.004mg	0.011mg
Selenium	1µg	8.6µg
Vitamin B1	0.005mg	0.023mg
Vitamin B2	0.034mg	0.23mg
Vitamin B3	0.042mg	0.091mg
Vitamin B5	0.11mg	0.517mg
Vitamin B6	0.003mg	0.056mg
Vitamin B12	0.17µg	0.22µg
Vitamin K	7µg	2.1µg
Folate	3µg	9µg
Choline	18.8mg	27.2mg
Saturated Fat	50.489g	20.213g
Monounsaturated Fat	23.43g	8.907g
Polyunsaturated fat	3.01g	1.483g
Tryptophan	0.012mg	0.069mg
Threonine	0.038mg	0.233mg
Isoleucine	0.051mg	0.324mg
Leucine	0.083mg	0.657mg
Lysine	0.067mg	0.567mg
Methionine	0.021mg	0.191mg
Phenylalanine	0.041mg	0.291mg
Valine	0.057mg	0.395mg
Histidine	0.023mg	0.175mg
Omega-3 - EPA	0g	0.01g
Omega-3 - ALA	0.315g	0.125g
Omega-3 - DPA	0g	0.02g
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid		0.002g
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid		0.002g
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid		0.036g
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid		0.007g
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid	2.166g	0.807g

Which food is preferable for your diet?

Low Calories diet

Low Fats diet

Low Carbs diet

Low Glycemic Index diet

is better in case of low diet


Low Calories diet
Low Fats diet
Low Carbs diet
Low Glycemic Index diet	Equal

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).

Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score

20%

19%

Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

21%

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?

Cream cheese is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 114mg)

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?

Cream cheese is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 30.276g)

Which food is richer in minerals?

Cream cheese is relatively richer in minerals

Which food is richer in vitamins?

Cream cheese is relatively richer in vitamins

Which food is lower in Sugar?

Butter is lower in Sugar (difference - 3.7g)

Which food contains less Sodium?

Butter contains less Sodium (difference - 303mg)

Which food is cheaper?

Butter is cheaper (difference - $1.4)

Which food is lower in glycemic index?

The foods have equal glycemic indexes (0)