Butter vs. Fat Spreads: Ever Thought Which One Is Better

Fat-spreads or margarine has been considered healthier than butter. Although margarine was first made by using traces of dairy products, now there also are non-dairy variants available today. But which one is actually better? Butter or fat spread? Let’s see how are they made:

Procedure or .making butter vs fat spreads

Butter is made by churning the fats in milk until it turns into a smooth solid substance.
Margarine was first invented by mixing skimmed milk, water and beef fat. The end product after mixing these three was a substance looking similar to butter.

Now, the manufacturers use vegetable oil instead of beef fats to create the product. The vegetable oil is said to contain cholesterol lowering fats because of the vegetable oils present in it. But is it really so? Let’s take a look.

Butter

Butter has been consumed since a long time. It actually contains saturated fats and cholesterol. As it is simply made by pasteurized cream, there are no contents which really can harm the body in a negative way.

In many countries, where cows are grass-fed, consuming butter is related to decrease in heart diseases. In fact, out of the total calories required by the body on a regular basis, 5% to 6% should be saturated fats. Especially for kids, who require more energy, saturated fats up to a particular amount are absolutely needed.

Eating this dairy product does not affect your good cholesterol and it also contains CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) which is said to maintain your heart health. It is also a good source of butyrate. Butyrate helps to maintain a healthy intestine. It helps you to fight inflammation and helps you to fight weight gain.

The nutritional content of the dairy product:

0 g carbohydrates
100 calories
12 grams of fat
7 grams of saturated fat
0.5 grams of trans fat
31 milligrams of cholesterol
0 g sugar

Margarine:

The main ingredient in the preparation of margarine is a vegetable oil such as soybean oil or safflower oil. These oils are hydrogenated at room temperature to give it a butter like consistency and also to extend its shelf life.

Hydrogenation of oil results into the preparation of trans fats. If we compare saturated fats with trans fats, the latter is more harmful to the human body. Trans fats are known to affect the good cholesterol which leads to heart problems.

Margarine was invented as a cheap alternative for butter. As hydrogen is added to the liquids to give it a solid texture, it creates an imbalance in the nutrients and creates a substance which is not beneficial for the human body.

The packets of fat spreads might say ‘low-fat’ or ‘zero trans fats’, but the products can be labelled as fat-free even if they contain less than 0.5 g trans fats per servings. You have to be careful with what you choose.

The nutritional content of the nondairy product:

1.5-2.5 grams of trans fat
0 g cholesterol
0 g carbohydrates
0 g sugar
80-100 calories
9-11 grams of fat
2 grams of saturated fat

The conclusion:
You should learn to maintain a balance. Consuming high amounts of saturated fats is not good for health, but so will eating an excess of anything. Learn to consume all nutrients in limited amounts and know which is good and which is bad for your health.

Additionally, develop a habit of reading the labels. You have to know what you are buying. If you read trans-fats anywhere, make sure you do not buy that product.

So, these were some facts about butter vs. fat spreads. Also, make sure to buy butter, fat spread and other dairy products from trusted sources to get the best products. Because you have to eat fresh to remain healthy.