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Which is better butter or margarine? Margarine of course. Without hesitation this is the answer that most people will give because of publicity over the last 10 to 20 years of margarine containing less saturated fat.
Yet public opinion is swinging back towards butter. Why? Because many nutritionists and dieticians are now telling us that butter is better for you. So who do you believe?
Are you on the side of nature, and say butter is better because it’s natural? Or are you on the side of less cholesterol and say margarine is better because it contains about half as much saturating fat?
What is the truth? Butter is high in saturated fats, which of course means an increased risk of heart disease. Butter is a good source of vitamins A and D.
Margarines are made from hydrogenated oils and can contain trans-fatty acids which lower good cholesterol levels, and increase bad cholesterol levels. Margarine can contain as much as three quarters less fat in some cases than butter. An increased asthma risk in children may be linked to polyunsaturates in margarine. Margarines can increase free radicals in your body.
A recent United States Department of agriculture study where a number of men and women that ate controlled amounts of butter or margarine over a period of several months, showed the subjects that ate margarine significantly improved their cholesterol levels against those subjects who ate butter.
Are you beginning to get confused? I certainly am. On one hand butter is bad for you because it’s higher in saturated fat, and on the other margarine is bad for you because it can lower your good cholesterol levels and raise your free radicals.
To answer the question is butter better than margarine requires a bit more research into how margarine is actually made. To make margarine liquid oils are converted into a solid spread by a process which is called hydrogenation. This hardens the oils and changes their chemical structure.
We all know that butter contains mono or polyunsaturated oils. However some of these oils when processed transform into trans-fatty acids which I have already stated raise cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Usually the margarine itself states on the label that contains trans-fats or hydrogenated fats. These are the margarines to avoid, instead choose margarines that are made from rape seed, sunflower, olive, and corn oils.
Also beginning to appear in the market are margarines with added plant sterols that reduce blood cholesterol. Because these compounds are similar to cholesterol, they compete with the bad cholesterol for absorption into the bloodstream during digestion, in effect blocking the bad cholesterol, more of which passes out through the body.
Some margarines are actually fortified with vitamins in A, D and E., However margarines also contain colourings and some other additives. One of the more common colourings is beta-carotene to give margarine a nice golden colour.
Butter and margarines are both high in calories.
Still confused? I still haven’t answered your question have I?
Okay here’s where the rubber hits the road. Butter tastes better in most cases than margarine, however some margarines are better for you than others.
The answer actually is that margarine is healthier for you than butter provided you use the low fat spreads, the very low fat spreads, and the low fat spreads with plant stanols. Why? Because these margarines have optimal cholesterol lowering benefits, and contain 50 to 60% water.
So now you know.
Tags: Nutrition, cholesterol, vitamins, heart disease, calories, beta-carotene, good cholesterol levels, trans fatty acids, butter or margarine, bad cholesterol, saturated fats, margarines, hydrogenated oils, risk of heart disease
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