Butter or Margarine - which one is better for my health? This debate is still as hot today as when it first arose. To determine which one is better for heart health, let's look at the fat content of both butter and margarine.
Butter - Saturated Fats and Cholesterol
Butter, as an animal fat, contains both saturated fats and cholesterol - the two dietary ingredients that give rise to our blood cholesterol. Saturated fats, mainly found in animal products, can raise LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), thus also raising total blood cholesterol as well. Cholesterol, on the other hand, has little effect on blood cholesterol in most people. But for some, even a little dietary cholesterol can cause a soar in blood cholesterol levels.
Margarine - Trans Fats (.....in the past)
In recent years, food manufacturers and the general public began to realize the negative health effects of trans fats. Another type of margarine is now widely available - non-hydrogenated margarine. This type of margarine contains no trans fat and is softer than the first-generation margarine stick. Instead of hydrogenating the liquid vegetable oil, manufacturers now add a tiny amount of modified palm and palm kernel oil to enhance spreadibility of margarine. By doing that, soft margarine can be trans fatty acid free.
| Recommended Intake per day | Butter (1 tbsp) | Soft-tub Margarine (1 tbsp) | Stick Margarine (1 tbsp) | |
| Calories | 2100 kcal | 102 kcal | 60 kcal | 101 kcal |
| Total Fats | ~70 g (~30% of total kcal) | 11 g | 6 g | 11 g |
| Saturated Fats | <> | 7 g | 1 g | 2 g |
| Trans Fats | <> | 0.3 g | 0 - 0.5 g | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | <> | 33 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg |
*Please note that the recommended intakes are provided for healthy average individuals age 24 - 49 calculated at an average intake of 2100 kcal. For individuals with heart diseases, the American Heart Association recommends to limit saturated fats to <7%>
Butter or Margarine: the Verdict?
BOTH saturated fats and trans fats can raise total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Therefore, try minimizing the intake of BOTH saturated fats and trans fats. It is clear that butter contains more saturated fats and trans fats when we add up the numbers. In addition, butter also contains cholesterol.
The Verdict? Margarine. Choose non-hydrogenated soft margarine.
Choose soft margarine: The American Heart Association recommends the use of margarine as a substitute for butter. We are excited that many brands of soft margarine do not contain trans fat anymore. Check the Nutrition Facts label and choose one with zero trans fat and no more than 2 g of saturated fats per tbsp and with liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient.
Here are some brands of soft margarine and cholesterol-lowering spread that meet the criteria:
- Becel
- Benecol
- Blue Bonnet Soft Spread
- Canola Harvest Non-Hydrogenated
- I Can't Believe it's not Butter
- Promise
- Smart Balance Light
1 comment:
You've provided some really great information here!
Health organizations recommend that anyone over the age of two initiate a heart healthy diet that includes maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, and keeping their saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol intakes low. I always try to consume a heart healthy diet because heart disease runs in my family and I also work with the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers so I know how important a healthy diet is!
An overall healthy diet includes consuming a wide range of foods in moderation. A heart healthy diet includes fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy products, meat and beans, and oils
Simply switching to margarine can greatly impact family health, as margarine products contain no cholesterol, little to no trans fats, and taste great!
Check out these links for more information: http://www.margarine.org, http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_4668_ENU_HTML.htm and http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/cholmonth/chol_kit.htm.
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