Butter or Margarine?

Butter or margarine?  This is a question that has been fought over for years.  Up to ten years ago, the answer to that question would have been a loud and unequivocal “BUTTER”!  But is that still the right answer?  Is margarine as unhealthy as it has once been rumored to be?  Is butter the healthiest way to go?  The answer to this age old question is easily found with a little research and drive.  Let’s go over the pros and cons of both butter and margarine before we make a decision.

The Pros and Cons of Butter

Butter has for years been determined to be the healthier of the two when choosing between butter and margarine.  Butter has always been the considered the more natural product because it comes straight from the cow.  But in this day and age, can we trust the cows we are getting our butter products from?  From the pesticides that are sprayed in the fields where the cows eat, to the feed that is given to them in the winter, to the environment the cow lives in and how it is living, there are always questions regarding the general and specific health of any animal and the products we derive from it.  Only if the cow in question is born and raised in a strictly organic environment can we be sure that the butter we are eating is a completely natural product.  Without this organic assurance, there is the danger of poisons, health issues and more from eating butter products.

Since butter is almost completely fat, we have to weigh the benefits and downfalls of eating this type of food.  The fats in butter are largely saturated fats.  Saturated fats are believed to be very bad for our bodies, our hearts, and our health in general.  Due to the high amount of saturated fats in butter, we have to question its health benefits.

The Pros and Cons of Margarine

Margarine has always been considered to be extremely unhealthy when compared to butter.  At one time, this was true.  Due in large part to the growing health concerns of society, margarine has done a huge amount of adjusting to fit into the healthier lifestyles of today’s consumer.  Generally made from vegetable oils, most margarines have no cholesterol and a very small amount, if any, trans fatty acids. Margarine also has a higher dose of “healthy” fats that are not as present in butter products.  Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are considered the healthier fats and can reduce your cholesterol level when used in place of saturated fats.  This is a definite benefit to margarine.  Margarine is actually recommended over butter by the American Heart Institute.

Verdict

It is plain to see that butter is a far cry from the healthy option that it has been portrayed for years as being.  Margarine, with its many health minded changes and adjustments, has become the healthy choice.  While use of any fatty product should be moderated, margarine is definitely the clear winner.