Butter vs. Margarine - The Great Debate

There is a lot of debate about butter and margarine. I think butter tastes better and is often a better cooking ingredient than margarine, which can become watery when heated, but what I’ve discovered is that either choice is bad if it’s used too much. As with most things in life, the key is moderation.

In poking around on the Internet, it’s easy to see why people get confused about whether or not they should use butter or margarine. There are some studies that say margarine is better because it is lower in saturated fat and some that say butter is better because it is a naturally made substance with easily absorbable nutrients and not chemically created like margarine. Personally, I use butter, because it is the least processed (the shortest ingredient list), it tastes better and it makes a better cooking ingredient than margarine.

Overall, margarine is lower in fat and cholesterol. According to the Mayo Clinic, margarine is the healthier choice – as long as you are choosing the right margarine. Margarine has the advantage because it has no cholesterol and is higher in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats – the kind that help increase “good” cholesterol and reduce “bad” cholesterol. Ironically, margarine also has trans fat. Even the healthiest of margarines still has some quantity of trans fat, and trans fat is the worst kind of fat you can have, because it both lowers good cholesterol and increases bad cholesterol. Confusing, isn’t it?

The added flavorings of some margarines has improved enough to have a richer, more buttery taste. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter does not use hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil – the process that creates trans fat – so it can be a good alternative when baking. The Mayo Clinic recommends Benecol and Promise Activ, which have been fortified with plant stanols and sterols, which can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels.

What concerns me is that, thanks mostly to marketing efforts on the part of the margarine industry, we might start thinking margarine is a healthy food, and feel more comfortable using it liberally. Even when the label says it is trans fat free (which manufacturers are allowed to claim if there is less than half a gram of trans fat per serving), there is still a trace of trans fat in margarines that have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. To be fair, butter has a trace of trans fat too, but it is naturally occurring. In the end, neither choice is ideal if you’re trying to lower your cholesterol, and whether you choose butter or margarine, both should be used sparingly. Most cooking should be done with healthier oils like grapeseed and safflower.

Until next time, eat well!