The Reason Why I Eat Butter Instead Of Margarine

There’s a very important reason why I eat butter instead of margarine: butter is the real thing! Margarine? Not so much. Learn the difference between butter and margarine and find out why you should always choose the real deal instead.

The Reason Why I Eat Butter Instead Of Margarine

When you are in the dairy aisle in the supermarket, how often do you see a butter product being marketed as healthy? Almost never. It’s always the margarine alternative that boasts of health benefits, but in reality, it’s the other way around. Real authentic butter is the one that’s better for your health. Why? Read on to find out.

Butter is the real thing.

My favorite butter is Kerrygold and contains only two natural ingredients: cream and salt. I just love the taste and texture of this butter. I also love the fact that is made from grass-fed cows.

However, even if you choose a store brand butter, the ingredient list is just as short. Cream. Salt. Period. Unless, of course, you opt for unsalted, in which case you’re looking at a single ingredient!

Margarine is a totally different story. The substance that creates margarine is nothing more than a scientific process- an experiment really- which created something that has proven to be incredibly bad for our bodies: trans fats. Just look at the laundry list of ingredients.

Margarine was created as a cheaper alternative to butter back in the late 1800s, when the French emperor Napoleon challenged the people to make a butter-like product for the military and lower-class citizens. It started being mass produced in 1903 when it was found that adding hydrogen to vegetable oil turns it into a more solid, spreadable product. Margarine was much cheaper to produce than butter and so it became very popular.

Good vs Bad Fats

Fatty acids like omega 3 and 6 are really important for our brain function. Vitamins A, D and E and all fat-soluble vitamins that help transport fat around the body. So natural fats are good. Real butter contains all of them!

Trans fats act differently, their molecular structure is different, and so they provide no help to the body in the way natural fats do. In recent years, studies have shown that trans fats can have really bad effects on our health.  One study (Dalainas & Ioannou, 2008) showed a 23% increase in coronary artery disease in just a 2% increase in energy taken from trans fats. Another one in 2012 also found that trans fats increase your risk of heart disease. Yet another discovered that even the negligible amount in some foods can increase your dementia risk.  That last one came after the artificial trans fat ban that took place last year. Yep, even though it’s officially been banned (at least when artificially created), trans fats still find their way into foods and still cause health problems.

Why butter is good for you.

Butter is full of immune-boosting vitamins. It contains Lauric Acid (also found in breast milk and coconut oil). Real butter is a great source of healthy cholesterol, fatty acids, antioxidants, and also helps with nutrient absorption.

Butter Contains a Lot of Healthy Saturated Fats. The “war” against saturated fat was based on bad science. It was never really proven that it caused any harm. In fact, recent studies are suggesting more and more that there is no association at all between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease. The fat found in simple carbohydrates like bread and sugar is actually (according to recent research) what is to blame for heart disease.

What if your doctor still recommends margarine instead of butter?

This is where things get tricky, because many doctors still recommend margarine over butter for patients with heart disease. Here’s the thing, though. When they make that recommendation, they’re thinking about newer margarine products that are made without trans fat, mostly by swapping the hydrogenated oil to water or regular liquid vegetable oil. Sure, that’s better than the earlier versions, but it’s still the equivalent of a science project versus real, natural food.

Plus, it doesn’t taste nearly as rich and the newer studies are showing no association with heart disease. So, think that you just need a smear of butter to flavor your homemade pancakes, so you don’t really need to really pile on the margarine. While I’d never recommend ignoring your doctor’s recommendation, it’s worth asking him if margarine is still the best option in that case, or if it would perhaps be smarter to just use a little butter instead.

Margarine will never be as natural as butter

No matter how healthy margarine manufacturers try to make their product, they’ll never come close to matching the sheer naturalness and wholesomeness of good, real butter. In fact, the harder they try, the longer their ingredients list becomes! Unless your doctor absolutely forbids you from eating butter, the real deal is always the best choice. If you truly are unable to eat it, you’re better off finding a different way to flavor your food than turning to a processed product like margarine.

This is the reason why I eat butter instead of margarine. Butter is a completely natural food essential to your health. Make sure you buy an organic butter from grass-fed cows.

Good natural fats are good for you. Having higher levels of cholesterol is also no longer thought to be as bad for you, and slightly higher levels of cholesterol in women have been actually linked to a longer life.

So, the next time you think you are doing your body good by choosing a low fat butter alternative, think again and go for the real thing instead.

I hope you enjoyed reading The Reason Why I Eat Butter Instead Of Margarine. If you are interested in reading more about my blog, please take a look at my latest articles. I am a mom blogger who loves to share creative and healthy fun food ideas and tips for living a healthy lifestyle.

I also believe kids deserve to eat real food. If you are interested, please check out my recipes for easy to make, healthy, and homemade family meals. I am not a chef or have many years of experience cooking. So most of my recipes are very easy to prepare. I believe in cooking with fresh ingredients and try to avoid cans and boxes as much as possible.

Last update on 2022-11-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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