Solving the Mystery: Butter vs Margarine

With all of the misleading information and opinions out there it's hard to decipher what the best nutrition options are sometimes. For me the answer is simple; the option that is closest to the natural state and contains the least amount of processing. A bitter debate that has been going on for quite some time has been which option is better: butter or margarine?

Let's look at the basics. The general purpose of butter and margarine is relatively the same. They are both used in baking, cooking, and a common spread of choice. They are both equal in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, saturated fats, and even calories, depending on the brand and ingredients. Even though there are certain similarities between the two the distinct differences are what really set them apart.

Butter is simply made by churning the fatty portion of cow’s milk until it turns into its’ final product; butter. Though butter is higher in cholesterol it contains several vitamins and minerals. It contains calcium and selenium as well as vitamins A, D, E, and K that are easily absorbable. Margarine is extremely processed and was created to lower cost and replace butter. The primary ingredient in margarine is vegetable oil. From there emulsifiers, colorants, and various artificial ingredients are also added. Margarine is often hydrogenated to give it a  longer shelf life and solid consistency by filling up missing portions in molecular bonds. Some of the vegetable oils are turned into trans fats during the hydrogenation process. Trans fat is considered by many doctors to be the worst type of fat that you can ingest and can drastically increase your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes. So what's the final verdict..?

                                               
                                         Overall, it’s ‘butter’ to stick to the basics!