Butter vs margarine

Much is mentioned in the media these days about lowering your cholesterol by swapping butter for margarine, but do we really know which one of these is the healthier choice and why? To be able to answer this question it is important to understand how each are made. 

Firstly, I’d like to give a brief explanation of hydrogenation. 

Hydrogenation is the process of hydrogen being added to the fat molecules in vegetable oil (unsaturated fatty acids) at a high temperature, in the presence of a catalyst, changing the oil’s molecular structure. This process creates trans fatty acids, raises the oil's melting point and makes it denser  - partially hydrogenated oil results in a butter-like consistency. Food companies tend to like foods with saturated fatty acids because they have a longer shelf life. 

Margarine is made from oil which is extracted at a high temperature, a process which actually damages the oil, destroying any nutrients. The oil must then be hardened and this is done by hydrogenation. 

Butter on the other hand is made from churning the cream that rises to the top of milk produced by cows in particular.

It is commonly thought that margarine is healthier than butter due to it containing less saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. It also usually has a lighter taste and moreover it tends to be cheaper to buy so is more accessible. Margarine usually has nutrients added so  can be a good source of some vitamins and minerals. 

However, after learning about the way in which both products are made and what the process produces it is difficult to uphold this belief. 

Trans fatty acids stimulate the body to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and this lowers HDL (good) cholesterol, resulting in a negative effect on heart health. Moreover they can cause or contribute to health conditions and illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and infertility. Margarine can contain traces of the toxic chemicals used in the hydrogenation process, such as nickel, and can also contain artificial colours to give it the appearance we are all used to seeing. It also contains a range of additives such as emulsifiers, flavours and preservatives. Did you know margarine is actually just a few molecules away from plastic?

In contrast to this, butter does not contain trans fatty acids because it does not go through hydrogenation. It doesn't contain any additives (only added salt in salted varieties), and its colour comes from carotene in the animal’s diet. 

Butter does contain saturated fat but we all know we need some fat in our diet, to provide many benefits such as protecting cells and providing us with energy. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids which are burnt by the body quicker than long-chain fatty acids. Butter can contain pesticides, drug residues and environmental toxins unless it is organic, but it also contains fat soluble vitamins such as A and D which can help with the absorption of other important nutrients (though the amount of these can depend on the diet of the animal from which the butter is made).

It’s important to pay attention to total fat intake and have a balanced and varied diet. If you wish to lower your use of either butter or margarine on bread I would recommend the following tasty alternatives.
- Goat’s butter. It doesn’t contain casein, the protein found in cow’s milk and butter which is often used in processed foods and can trigger allergies or sensitivities.
- If you like your bread moist dip it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- Hummus
- Nut butters
- Avocado

To avoid trans fats in your diet altogether look for the words ‘hydrogenated’ or ‘partially hydrogenated’ on food labels, and remember if a label says ‘low in trans fats’ that this does not mean it is trans-fat free!