Butter or Margarine? provided by Healthcastle.com Nutrition Butter or Margarine - which one is better for my health? This certainly is an age-old controversy and the 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 When margarine was first introduced into the market place, it was loaded with trans fats. Hydrogenation "solidifies" liquid vegetable oil into a spread so it is easier to use. As a result of this hydrogenation process, trans fats are produced. Similar to saturated fats, trans fats also increase LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol). 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 minimal trans fat and is softer than the first-generation margarine stick. 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 < 23 g (<10% of total kcal) 7 g 1 g 2 g Trans Fats < 2.3 g (<1% of total kcal) 0.3 g 0 - 0.5 g 3 g Cholesterol < 300 mg 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% of total calories (i.e. 16 g) and cholesterol to <200 mg per day. 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 soft margarine. Choose soft margarine: The American Heart Association recommends the use of margarine as a substitute for butter. Choose soft margarines, which are either liquid or tub varieties, over harder, stick forms. Shop for margarine with 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: Canola Harvest Non-Hydrogenated Becel I Can't Believe it's not Butter Take Control Benecol [Read other related High Cholesterol Diets articles]

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