Butter vs. Margarine

You are in a restaurant and you order your usual low-fat, high fiber, nutritious meal. The entree is accompanied by a baked potato and the waiter asks, "butter or margarine?" Until recently everyone thought the correct response was margarine. Now there is information about another evil. It lurks in the margarine. The new villain is trans-fatty acid, which raises the question, is margarine really better than butter? How frustrating!

For years health officials have been recommending replacing butter with margarine whenever possible. The truth is, equal amounts of butter and margarine contain the same amounts of calories and fat. One tablespoon of either has 100 calories and 11 grams of fat. The difference is butter is higher in saturated fat with 8 grams compared to margarine at 2 grams. Also butter is animal fat so it contains cholesterol and of course margarine does not.

Enter trans-fatty acids. These little devils are produced when liquid oil is converted to a solid. The process is called hydrogenation. Trans-fatty acids are by-products of hydrogenation. Manufacturers do this to give baked goods a longer shelf life. Simply put, solid shortenings stay fresh longer than liquid oils. So cookies, cakes and crackers as well as other such products all contain trans-fatty acids.

Trans-fatty acids cause LDL (bad cholesterol) to increase. LDL cholesterol is the type that gets stuck along the walls of veins and arteries. The resulting condition is called atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. This condition can contribute to heart disease and/or strokes. Trans-fatty acids also may decrease HDL cholesterol or the good cholesterol in your blood.

So what is the bottom line? Moderation. According to the experts, reducing all types of fat in the diet is important. Most trans-fatty acids are found in foods like commercial cookies, French fries and donuts fried in solid shortening and other hydrogenated shortening products. A diet low in total fat ­ both saturated and unsaturated ­ can lower your risk of heart disease and many forms of cancer.

Remember that nutrition is not an exact science. As more information is learned about the human body, new recommendations will constantly arise. What was true yesterday may not be true today or tomorrow, based upon new research information. We do know that cutting down on saturated fat in your diet can reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering your blood cholesterol.

So, when the waiter asks, butter or margarine? Consider asking for salsa, or a fat-free salad dressing with fresh ground pepper, non-fat sour cream, or use fresh herbs in combination with any of the above. Be creative.

Spring 1998
University of Illinois Booksale | Zoysiagrass! Can You Believe the Ads? | Crabgrass Control | Choosing Home Lawn Care Services | Selecting a Tree Service or Arborist | All America Selections 1998 | All Tomato Varieties Certainly Not the Same | Some Noteworthy Perennial Combinations | Bug Bites | Lawn Care Calendar | Cybergarden Sites | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Healthy Eating: Butter vs. Margarine | Health Update: Vitamin & Mineral Supplements | Food Safety: Eggs | Health & Household Update | Did You Know?

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