For years, we’ve been told that margarine is the healthier choice over butter due to butter’s higher saturated fat content. However, a large-scale study is challenging conventional wisdom.
The Evidence Questions the Saturated Fat Fear
In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition involving 350,000 people over 23 years, researchers found no association between consumption of saturated fat from sources like butter and an increased risk of heart disease.
This prestigious, long-term study calls into question whether saturated fat itself is the culprit, or if it’s our overall poor diets and unhealthy lifestyles that are really to blame.
What’s Really in Margarine?
So if butter may not be the villain it was made out to be, what about margarine? Is it truly healthier? When you take a close look at the ingredients in many margarine brands, the picture doesn’t look so rosy.
Popular margarine varieties like Country Crock and Smart Balance contain a host of concerning ingredients. Genetically modified soybean oil is a major component, which may create issues since you’re ingesting an altered DNA source. They also add artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives like potassium sorbate and EDTA that have been linked to damaging DNA and helping toxins penetrate cells.
Even “Healthier” Veggie Spreads Fall Short
You may think vegan-butter spreads like Earth Balance are a better option, but the ingredient list tells another story. While avoiding animal products, it still contains the same mixture of inflammatory industrial seed oils found in conventional margarine like canola and soy. It also contains soy flour, which can contribute to hormonal issues.
The bottom line is that these pseudo-butters are still highly processed foods composed of ingredients that don’t contribute to overall health and may actively work against it through inflammation and toxicity.
The Case for Real Butter
When you compare butter from pasture-raised organic cows to these vegetable oil spreads, butter comes out as the clear winner from a real food perspective. Quality butter contains just two simple ingredients: cream and lactic acid from bacterial cultures. No artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or highly refined industrial seed oils to be found.
Butter is a minimally processed, natural food that our bodies have been consuming for centuries. While it does contain saturated fat, it also provides nutrients like Vitamin A, antioxidants, and even some Omega-3s if the cows were grass-fed.
For vegetarians and vegans, however, finding a truly clean butter alternative remains very difficult based on current product offerings.
The Bottom Line
Based on the evidence, real butter from organic, pasture-raised cows is the better choice over conventional margarine from a health, real food, and minimal processing standpoint. The vegetable oil blends, artificial additives, and preservatives in many margarine brands appear to carry more potential negatives than the fats in real butter itself.
When it comes to fats, choosing high-quality, minimally-processed sources over hyper-processed imitators is likely the wise move.
