Food can be confusing! What's good for you one day is labeled bad the next - or visa versa. Take butter, for instance. In the past, it was branded an evil food and something to avoid; the next day margarine was the bad guy.

So which is it? Let’s take a closer look at these two fatty flavorings and see if we can make some sense out of all the information we keep getting fed.

Suspect #1 - Butter

Basically speaking, butter is made by churning cream or milk - usually from cows - until the fat and liquid separate. Salt is often added for flavor and to keep the butter from spoiling.

Butter is roughly 80% milk fat, which is primarily saturated fatty acids. These fatty acids get their name because they are saturated with hydrogen ions. Because of this, they also have more energy (translation: calories). Also, a lot of these fatty acids can be packed together in a space (translation: your thighs/belly).

Saturated fats and heart disease: Saturated fats like to contribute to LDL’s (bad cholesterol) dirty work of hanging out in your arteries and setting up house by forming plaques along arterial walls. This slows and can even obstruct blood flow to and from the heart, increasing the risk of heart disease.

Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, are healthier than the saturated version. They got their name because…yep, they're not saturated with hydrogen ions. This also means unsaturated fats contain less energy (calories). I like these fats already!

A couple of drawbacks: The more unsaturated fats are, the easier it is for them to spoil. They also become a liquid relatively quickly at room temperature.

Most importantly, unsaturated fats don’t increase cholesterol and cause heart disease like the saturated fats do. So, if you've got to eat fat, try to make sure it’s unsaturated. Some sources of unsaturated fats can be found in avocados, walnuts, olive oil, and salmon.

Suspect #2 - Margarine

Margarine is commonly made from vegetable oils, making it a cholesterol-free spread (animal sources provide cholesterol). Margarine may have that going for it, but not all margarines are created equal. Many margarines, especially the earlier versions with their distinctive bright, yellow color, have trans fat added to them.

Trans fat doesn't come from a natural source. Trans fat is an unsaturated fat that has some hydrogen ions added to it. Now the fat has become partially hydrogenated. Manufacturers like to add hydrogen ions because they make margarine (and other foods with trans fat added to them) less likely to melt at room temperature or spoil quickly.

The problem is your body has absolutely no use for trans fat. Furthermore, trans fats cause the body harm. They're proficient at increasing your LDL (again, the bad stuff) while decreasing your HDL (the good cholesterol), causing hardening of the arteries, and leading to a greater risk of heart disease.

Better margarines: Many modern margarines these days lack trans fatty acids and are made with unsaturated oils. Benecol and Take Control are just a couple examples of the healthier margarines on the market.

So, who's the true "bad guy"?

The real bad guy here is the traditional margarine, which is made with harmful trans fatty acids. Try to avoid margarines - and all foods for that matter - with trans fat.

My first choice is to avoid butter and margarine completely, but that just isn't realistic (or fun)! When it comes to butter spreads, I would use the heart-healthy spreads first and butter as a second option.

That being said, remember that while some fats are better than others, they're still fat. And too much fat can…well, make you fat!

Case closed!

Photo credit: bb matt

Originally posted 2007-12-03 08:00:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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