Sunday, December 19, 2004
Butter vs Margarine
DO YOU KNOW...the difference between margarine and butter? Read on ...it gets very interesting...
Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams. Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study. Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods. Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added! Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods. Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years. And now for Margarine.. Very high in trans fatty acids... Triple risk of coronary heart disease. Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) Lowers HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) ... Increases the risk of cancers by up to five fold... Lowers quality of breast milk... Decreases immune response... Decreases insulin response.
And here are the most disturbing facts....
HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!
Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC.......And margarine is initially BLACK, but it is DYED YELLOW to look like butter. These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance)..
YOU can try this yourself: purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things: no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies(yehyeh) will go near it (that should tell you something) . it does not rot or smell differently..because it has no nutritional value, nothing will grow on it...even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not find a home to grow.
Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast? Share This With Your Friends.....(Butter them up!)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I found this on the first hit for my google search (access it here):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is probably the most frequent question that any nutritionist is asked. "So which is better for me: butter or margarine?" Although they both are sources of fat, to determine which is better for your health you have to look more closely at what kind of fats are found in butter and margarines.
Butter is made from the fat portion of cow´s milk, by agitating the milk fat in a churn until coagulation (solidification) occurs. Saturated fats are found in cow´s milk, but there is also a small amount of trans fats that occur naturally. Cow´s milk normally contains up to 3.7 % milk fat, but milk with 2% and 1% fat are common in dairy cases. Skim milk contains about 0.2 % milk fat.
Vegetable oils are the base for margarines. Soybean, olive, corn and canola are common oils used in the manufacture of margarines. But oils are liquid at room temperature. In order to produce solid margarine, unsaturated fats in the oil are converted to saturated fats by a process called hydrogenation. The level of unsaturated fats goes down in margarines and the level of saturated fats goes up. Even more important is the fact that during the process of hydrogenation to produce margarines, trans fatty acids are produced. Trans fat like saturated fat raises the level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood, and so we should be limiting the amounts of trans fat in our diet. Yes, butter does contain less trans fat than margarines, but when the total of trans and saturated fat is compared, traditional vegetable margarines come out ahead of butter. Even better are margarines that are not hydrogenated. These products should be trans fat free.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can find out more information about the butter vs margarine thing (an internet chain mail which began circulating around in June 2003) here. This website also says:
Surprisingly enough, there is a fair bit of truth to it. According to the latest findings in the medical world, margarine can increase the risk of heart disease, depending upon the type of fat contained in the spread. Previously, the dietary villain in the development of coronary disease Butter was presumed to be saturated fat, but new evidence points the finger to trans fat (also known as trans fatty acids). Although butter has its own set of dietary shortcomings, it does not contain trans fat.
In 1994, Harvard University researchers reported that people who ate partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats, had nearly twice the risk of heart attacks as those who consumed much less of the substance. Several large studies in the United States and elsewhere, including the Nurses' Health Study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, have also suggested a strong link between earlier death and consumption of foods high in trans fat.
Trans fats occur naturally in small amounts in some foods, including meat and dairy products, but most trans fats in the American diet are formed when vegetable oils are chemically changed to give them a longer shelf life. Cookies, potato chips, baked products, and the like are particularly loaded with trans fats.
The Food and Drug Administration, the National Academy, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. and the American Heart Association all recommend consumers limit their intake of trans fat wherever possible. Moreover, the federal government has insisted that by 2006 all food labels disclose how much trans fat products contain.
Until that labelling change comes into effect, consumers should be wary of any foodstuff that makes mention of containing "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" ingredients. They should also not make the mistake of assuming saturated fats are now good for them or no longer pose any danger to their health. This is not a time to be wallowing in butter.
Those still tussling with the "butter versus margarine" controversy, or who just want to know how their margarine stacks up against others might find the following comparison chart informative. Numbers given in grams refer to how many grams of each particular type of fat there are per tablespoon of that brand. (A tablespoon of butter or margarine contains 14 grams.) Numbers given as percentages represent the impact of one tablespoon of that spread on the recommended daily allowance of that substance. Margarines sampled were of the "tub" variety. (The same margarines in "stick" form had consistently higher numbers.)
Because butter is an animal product, it contains cholesterol, amounting to 30 mg per tablespoon or 10% of the USDA recommended daily allowance. Margarines, because they are non-animal products, do not.
The preceeding chart says nothing about which margarines contain trans fats or how much because this information is not yet included on product labels.
Although a great deal of the information given in the e-mail is valid, one bit of intelligence is nothing more than hyperbole tossed in by the author in an effort to make his point more strongly. The claim that some comestible is but a "single molecule away" from being a decidedly inedible (or even toxic) substance has been applied to a variety of processed foods, but that type of statement (even if it were true) is essentially meaningless. Many disparate substances share similar chemical properties, but even the slightest variation in molecular structure can make a world of difference in the qualities of those substances.
- Barbara "gold standard" Mikkelson
Content adapted from Mak's Blog.
Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams. Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study. Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods. Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added! Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods. Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years. And now for Margarine.. Very high in trans fatty acids... Triple risk of coronary heart disease. Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) Lowers HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) ... Increases the risk of cancers by up to five fold... Lowers quality of breast milk... Decreases immune response... Decreases insulin response.
And here are the most disturbing facts....
HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!
Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC.......And margarine is initially BLACK, but it is DYED YELLOW to look like butter. These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance)..
YOU can try this yourself: purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things: no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies(yehyeh) will go near it (that should tell you something) . it does not rot or smell differently..because it has no nutritional value, nothing will grow on it...even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not find a home to grow.
Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast? Share This With Your Friends.....(Butter them up!)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I found this on the first hit for my google search (access it here):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is probably the most frequent question that any nutritionist is asked. "So which is better for me: butter or margarine?" Although they both are sources of fat, to determine which is better for your health you have to look more closely at what kind of fats are found in butter and margarines.
Butter is made from the fat portion of cow´s milk, by agitating the milk fat in a churn until coagulation (solidification) occurs. Saturated fats are found in cow´s milk, but there is also a small amount of trans fats that occur naturally. Cow´s milk normally contains up to 3.7 % milk fat, but milk with 2% and 1% fat are common in dairy cases. Skim milk contains about 0.2 % milk fat.
Vegetable oils are the base for margarines. Soybean, olive, corn and canola are common oils used in the manufacture of margarines. But oils are liquid at room temperature. In order to produce solid margarine, unsaturated fats in the oil are converted to saturated fats by a process called hydrogenation. The level of unsaturated fats goes down in margarines and the level of saturated fats goes up. Even more important is the fact that during the process of hydrogenation to produce margarines, trans fatty acids are produced. Trans fat like saturated fat raises the level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood, and so we should be limiting the amounts of trans fat in our diet. Yes, butter does contain less trans fat than margarines, but when the total of trans and saturated fat is compared, traditional vegetable margarines come out ahead of butter. Even better are margarines that are not hydrogenated. These products should be trans fat free.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can find out more information about the butter vs margarine thing (an internet chain mail which began circulating around in June 2003) here. This website also says:
Surprisingly enough, there is a fair bit of truth to it. According to the latest findings in the medical world, margarine can increase the risk of heart disease, depending upon the type of fat contained in the spread. Previously, the dietary villain in the development of coronary disease Butter was presumed to be saturated fat, but new evidence points the finger to trans fat (also known as trans fatty acids). Although butter has its own set of dietary shortcomings, it does not contain trans fat.
In 1994, Harvard University researchers reported that people who ate partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats, had nearly twice the risk of heart attacks as those who consumed much less of the substance. Several large studies in the United States and elsewhere, including the Nurses' Health Study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, have also suggested a strong link between earlier death and consumption of foods high in trans fat.
Trans fats occur naturally in small amounts in some foods, including meat and dairy products, but most trans fats in the American diet are formed when vegetable oils are chemically changed to give them a longer shelf life. Cookies, potato chips, baked products, and the like are particularly loaded with trans fats.
The Food and Drug Administration, the National Academy, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. and the American Heart Association all recommend consumers limit their intake of trans fat wherever possible. Moreover, the federal government has insisted that by 2006 all food labels disclose how much trans fat products contain.
Until that labelling change comes into effect, consumers should be wary of any foodstuff that makes mention of containing "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" ingredients. They should also not make the mistake of assuming saturated fats are now good for them or no longer pose any danger to their health. This is not a time to be wallowing in butter.
Those still tussling with the "butter versus margarine" controversy, or who just want to know how their margarine stacks up against others might find the following comparison chart informative. Numbers given in grams refer to how many grams of each particular type of fat there are per tablespoon of that brand. (A tablespoon of butter or margarine contains 14 grams.) Numbers given as percentages represent the impact of one tablespoon of that spread on the recommended daily allowance of that substance. Margarines sampled were of the "tub" variety. (The same margarines in "stick" form had consistently higher numbers.)
Because butter is an animal product, it contains cholesterol, amounting to 30 mg per tablespoon or 10% of the USDA recommended daily allowance. Margarines, because they are non-animal products, do not.
The preceeding chart says nothing about which margarines contain trans fats or how much because this information is not yet included on product labels.
Although a great deal of the information given in the e-mail is valid, one bit of intelligence is nothing more than hyperbole tossed in by the author in an effort to make his point more strongly. The claim that some comestible is but a "single molecule away" from being a decidedly inedible (or even toxic) substance has been applied to a variety of processed foods, but that type of statement (even if it were true) is essentially meaningless. Many disparate substances share similar chemical properties, but even the slightest variation in molecular structure can make a world of difference in the qualities of those substances.
- Barbara "gold standard" Mikkelson
Content adapted from Mak's Blog.
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