Do you feel a bit confused at the back and forth conversations on popular health and nutrition recommendations? I have been in the health and wellness industry for over thirty years and have had to do the “backtrack” on more than one occasion. This can be embarrassing for my profession but the simple explanation for this back and forth is that scientific research, over time, reveals new truths. Thankfully, pride didn't prevent the governing bodies from reversing this particular recommendation on butter.
There are a few dietary myths still floating around but I would like to address the common dietary substitute of margarine for butter that many still believe is good for you. It is not! Let me lay it out for you and butter you up with some truth that you will be happy about. Margarine was first used to fatten up turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, those responsible for investing in the research wanted a return somehow, someway. They had the sick idea to add some food coloring and flavoring to this white substance and sell it as an alternative to butter. Remember, it killed the turkeys.
Let's look at the similarities and differences between butter and margarine. Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats with 8 grams compared to 5 grams for margarine per serving. However, eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter according to a Harvard medical study. Butter has so many good qualities that you will most certainly want to ditch the margarine after reading this article. Butter has many nutritional benefits and increases the absorption of many nutrients in other foods that we consume. Butter tastes much better and enhances the taste of many foods and has been around for centuries. Margarine, on the other hand, has been around less than 100 years, and is very high in trans fatty acids which triples the risk of coronary heart disease. Margarine increases total cholesterol and LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, and lowers HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Margarine also increases the risk of cancers up to five times, decreases immune responses within the body, decreases the pancreas’ insulin response, and lowers the quality of breast milk in nursing mothers. The most disturbing fact is that margarine is only one molecule away from being plastic. Yes, you read that right, plastic. Margarine also shares 27 ingredients with paint. Additionally, margarine is hydrogenated, meaning they have added hydrogen to it, which alters the molecular structure of the substance.
Are you disgusted yet? Have you just made the decision to remove all margarine from your fridge? If not, I have a few more enticing facts for you to ponder before finishing this article. I challenge you to leave an open tub of margarine out in a shaded area around your house or in your garage. After a few days, you will notice that the margarine will not rot, nor will it produce a foul odor. Nothing will grow on it because it is almost the same chemical makeup of plastic. In fact, flies will not even go near it. If that is not enough, just think next time while you are spreading margarine on your toast, that you are spreading something that’s only a few molecules away from being plastic. You have to agree that that cannot be good!
In closing, I highly recommend that you ditch the margarine and pass the butter. It is true in my opinion, that everything is better with butter. I hope this article answers any questions that may have been lurking in your mind with all of the confusion created by marketing tactics and the supposedly healthier butter options.
As always, Keep Pressing On To Higher Ground with all that is important to you!
Rich Burkholder, Director of the Aero-Fitness Health Center
