SPREADING IT ON THICK: BUTTER VS. MARGARINE
Source: American Institute for Cancer Research
September 2006 - Diet and Cancer News
Politics is a notorious source of hot debates, but political arguments pale in comparison to the debate over which is better: butter or margarine. And just like during an election year, there are smear campaigns in this contest as well.
When margarine was first introduced in the United States in the 1870s, some sources say that it was viewed as “unnatural” and “demonic.” For some people, that hasn’t changed. A look at web sites debating the merits of butter versus margarine reveals that there are those who revile margarine and would like to drive it away from the world’s refrigerators, much like the torch-wielding townspeople chasing Frankenstein with their pitchforks.
But as it turns out, margarine is not demonic when it comes to more healthful eating and is a better choice overall than butter. In fact, functional margarines—which ironically are often lumped into a class of nutritionally engineered products sometimes referred to as “Frankenfoods”—can actually boost your health.
“Nutritionally, there is little objective doubt that the right margarine is better for health than butter in a one-to-one comparison,” says Karen Collins, MS, RD, nutrition advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research. “The general wisdom is to use a soft tub margarine, one with zero trans fat and as little saturated fat as possible.”
The Sticking Point
When Collins talks about the right type of margarine, she is not talking about stick margarine. Shape matters when you’re shopping in the dairy aisle. “Regular stick margarine has the same calories as butter, much less saturated fat than butter, but so much trans fat that you’ve lost the advantage,” she says. Although it’s not the best choice, she notes that it is cheaper than butter, but works in baking in a similar way.
As chefs around the country cry out in pain, Collins admits that butter lovers notice the difference. Butter does have the advantage of taste, texture and no trans fat, she says, so save butter for occasions or food where you most notice the difference. If you have one to two teaspoons of butter a week as part of an overall healthy diet, the impact will be little, Collins says.
Those anxiously cradling their melting sticks of butter might argue that despite butter’s caloric and saturated-fat content, laboratory studies have shown that the CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) in butter can actually inhibit cancer. Some unsubstantiated research suggests this fatty acid may help control weight. Unfortunately, CLA is less than 1 percent of the fat in butter. That amount is vastly less than the amounts consumed in supplement trials.
A Pat Response
What about the argument that it’s better to use a little bit of the “real thing,” a.k.a. butter, instead of margarine? One person contends in http://www.snopes.com/ Urban Legends section that margarine “is but one molecule from being plastic,” and asks, “Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?”
“The real thing would also include high-fat meat, sausage and whole milk,” Collins points out. “Do they think those are better too? If so, that is a complete denial of the research on saturated fat’s impact.”
The bottom line of this greasy debate is that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol and risk for some cancers. “People are pleased to avoid trans fat, but studies show that saturated fat is as bad or worse for raising blood cholesterol,” explains Collins. “Plus, saturated fat does appear to be a cancer promoter. We don’t know about trans fat yet.”
Brave New Margarines
Enter functional margarines. These products were created to appeal to those seeking more bang from their butter, er, margarine. They contain stanols or sterols designed to lower blood cholesterol by interfering with the body’s absorption of cholesterol from the diet. Studies show that proper use of functional margarines can lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol about 10 percent beyond the effects of following a heart-wise diet low in saturated fat and high in fiber.
However, Collins notes, “These special margarines are quite a bit more expensive than regular margarine, so it makes sense to see if you can maintain a healthy blood cholesterol with basic healthy eating habits first. But if you need the extra help, it is a safe and effective food choice for you and your family.”
For those still guarding their fridges with pitchforks and torches, Collins says they shouldn’t fear the additives in margarine. “It’s important to know that some of the things that sound so foreign may be normal constituents of food just named in ways we’re not used to,” explains Collins. For example, the diglycerides that serve as emulsifiers to keep margarine together are just incomplete fat molecules and beta-carotene for color is the same antixiodant phytochemical we eat in carrots.
“Cancer researchers are strongly past the idea that additives are a place to focus to try and reduce cancer risk. Unfortunately, it’s just that many consumers are still ‘stuck’ there.”
Take that, Mr. Melted Tupperware.
Better Than Either
If you’re willing to banish both butter and margarine from your diet, a good oil is an excellent choice. “Oils do not have added salt, so are lower in sodium than salted butter or margarine,” says Collins. Olive, canola and nut oils are healthy alternatives for putting on vegetables or using as bread dips, she notes, but must still be used in moderate portions because of their calorie density. For toast, jam is another low-fat possibility, but Collins recommends using a reduced-sugar variety.
BUTTER VERSUS MARGARINE IN BAKING
Baking Alternatives to the "Real Thing"
For those who just can’t put down the butter knife and insist that baking is not baking without the “real thing,” Karen Collins, MS, RD, Nutrition Advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), offers some health-boosting suggestions:
Experiment with using smaller amounts of butter when cooking. “Some suggest a guideline of not more than 2 tablespoons of fat for each cup of flour; you may find you’ve been using far beyond that,” Collins says.
Use fat substitutes in addition to butter in recipes. Follow the 2 tablespoons of fat recommendation but substitute applesauce or baby-food prunes for the rest of the fat called for in the recipe to prevent baked goods from getting too dry. “Often, taking even 1/4 of the fat as butter and the rest as a healthier fat like canola oil is enough to still keep the flakiness of a good pie crust.
Try The New American Plate cookbook from AICR. “Canola oil was used in several cookie recipes that still passed the taste-test judges with flying colors.”
Look at how often you eat baked goods. “Try to cut back on how often and how much you eat (portion), and using butter will matter less.” |
