Is Margarine Better than Butter?
It’s gotten to the point where I don’t know if margarine is good for you, bad for you, better than butter, worse than butter, which is it? The flip flopping by the scientific community has my head in a spin and I have no idea which way is up. Fortunately, in the confusion, science has prevailed and there is a scientific explanation as to which is better and why.
First, let’s talk about what margarine is. Margarine is essentially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Hydrogenation refers to the process of infusing hydrogen atoms in liquid fats, like vegetable oil, so that they are solids at room temperature. The by-product is a significant amount of trans-fat acids. For a while, margarine was hailed as better because trans-fats aren’t saturated fats, which were known to be unhealthy for you; but it wasn’t until further study (a report released in 2005 by the US Dept. of Agriculture) did we learn that trans-fats are treated the same as saturated fats in the body.
Butter is bad for you because of saturated fat, margarine is bad for you because of trans-fat. They both have their positive merits but the bottom line is that you should eat them both in moderation.
3 People have left comments on this post
Jul 7, 2008 - 01:07:27Trans fat naturally occurs in some foods, like butter, but are also formed in the processing of some foods where product texture and shelf life are desired. I’ve learned a lot about this subject because I work with the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers. In addition, heart disease runs in my family so I’ve got a personal interest in this subject as well.
Have you looked at a margarine label lately? You won’t find any soft or liquid margarine that contain trans fat, and trans fat levels of stick margarines have been greatly reduced. Using new technologies, margarine manufacturers have met the challenge and eliminated or reduced trans fat in margarine products, making a good product even better. In fact, the margarine industry has led the food industry in removing trans fat content from its products. Soft, liquid and spray margarine products are now in sync with the recommendations included in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid food guidance system. Soft margarine products were elevated in their importance in that they “help meet essential fatty acid needs and also contribute toward Vitamin E needs” according to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report.
When comparing margarine to butter, many margarine products are the recommended alternative as stated by of the American Heart Association, as well as the Federal government’s National Cholesterol Education Program. And yes, it’s still an economical choice for the consumer. For more information, visit http://margarine.org/qanda.html, http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/cholmonth/chol_kit.htm and http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000.
I don’t know which is ‘better’ but I avoid any food with hydrogenated oils and that has traditionally been margarine. A margarine without hydrogenated oils would be acceptable to consume in moderation (if one exists).
1 Trackback(s)