Margarine Vs Butter: Which is the Best Spread for Your Health?

I got interested in the debate over butter vs margarine when I discovered a thought-provoking sight one day. I had sticks of butter and a tub of margarine frozen in my freezer. Both had been there about the same length of time. When I inspected the butter, it was fine. It was still yellow in color, and it tasted fine when I used it.

The margarine, on the other hand, was a scary sight. When I opened the tub, the first thing I noticed was that it was no longer the consistency of margarine. It had turned into- believe it or not- a pale, powdery substance. There was no question that the margarine was no longer edible. But, I began to wonder, what does it turn into inside our bodies?

First, let’s look at the origins of these two spreads. Butter is a natural dairy product that has been in existence for many centuries. Do you realize that it’s even mentioned in the Holy Bible? If you look at Genesis 18:8, it reads, “And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.” Proverbs 30:33 reads, “Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter…”

Butter is a tasty spread that’s made from milk cream. The cream is “churned.” Churning turns the cream into a partially solid product. It takes a lot of cream to make butter: twenty one pounds of cream equal one pound of butter, in fact.

Margarine is far from being natural. It’s a man made product. Margarine was invented by a French chemist in the late eighteen hundreds. Today, this spread is made by using vegetable oils.

When it comes to weight loss issues, according to research, butter has the same amount of calories and fat content in it as margarine does. Yet cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D, inventor of the popular “South Beach Diet”, advises using a low fat substitute for butter. Dr. Agatston also advises his dieters to use canola or olive oil when possible.

On the other hand, Robert C. Atkins, M.D., the inventor of “The Atkins Diet”, condones the use of butter for his dieters. Dr. Atkins. actually encourages his clients to eat butter, cream, eggs, cheese and bacon.

When it comes to cooking with either product, butter is the best choice. Why? Because it melts nicely. It also adds a sweet, buttery taste to favorite foods such as vegetables and potatoes.

Margarine doesn’t fare as well when it’s heated. According to scientific research, margarine actually turns into rancid trans-fatty acids. These acids, also called, “Trans Fats”, are often avoided like the plague in today’s world. Trans Fats are known to clog arteries. This clogging can lead to heart disease, strokes, heart attacks, and other medical problems.

Trans fats raise a person’s Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL). The LDL is the “bad” cholesterol. They also lower the High Density Lipoprotein (HDL). HDL is the “good” cholesterol.

Three established health organizations- The Food and Drug Administration, the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the American Heart Association all agree that, in order to promote a healthy body, people should avoid eating trans-fatty acid or fats.

Health facts aside, as far as taste goes, some people prefer the creamy, rich taste of natural butter. Others prefer the taste of margarine instead. Your preference might well depend on what you’re used to. That is, if you grew up eating butter, then you probably still eat butter as an adult.

In conclusion, you’ll need to compare the facts yourself in order to decide what spread is better for you!