Butter vs. Margarine

One of the healthiest whole foods you can include in your diet is butter.   Despite unjustified warnings about saturated fat from well-meaning, but misinformed, nutritionists, the list of butter's benefits is indeed impressive.

Butter is a rich source of easily absorbed vitamin A, which is needed for a wide range of functions in the body, ranging from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape. Butter also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (E, K, and D).  

Butter is rich in trace minerals, especially selenium, a powerful antioxidant. Ounce for ounce, butter has more selenium per gram than whole wheat or garlic. Butter is also one of the rare foods that supplies an adequate amount of iodine which is needed by the thyroid gland.  

Butter has appreciable amounts of butyric acid, used by the colon as an energy source. This fatty acid is also a known anti-carcinogen. Lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid, is a potent antimicrobial and antifungal substance. Butter contains small but nearly equal amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. This excellent balance between omega 3 and omega 6 helps prevent the problems associated with excessive consumption of omega-6 fatty acids.

Despite all of the claims you may have heard, cholesterol is actually needed to maintain intestinal health. Young people also need cholesterol for brain and nervous system development.  Again, this emphasizes the need for cholesterol-rich foods for children. Human breast milk is extremely high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Standing in direct opposition to all of these healthful qualities is margarine and assorted "vegetable oil spreads." While these may be cheaper, you'd never eat them again if you knew how they were made.
All margarines are made from assorted vegetable oils that have been heated to extremely high temperatures. This causes the oils to become rancid. Next, a nickel catalyst is added, along with hydrogen atoms, to solidify it. Nickel is a toxic heavy metal and amounts always remain in the finished product. Finally, deodorants and colorings are added to remove margarine's horrible smell (from the rancid oils) and unappetizing grey color.

If that is not enough, in the solidification process, harmful trans-fatty acids are created which are carcinogenic and mutagenic.  Trans-fats are now known to cause heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer and other degenerative diseases. In addition, trans-fats have been linked with lower birth weight of babies as well as declined fertility.

Another common misconception propagated by modern industry is that the fat in butter is bad for us. Butter is comprised of mostly short and medium chain fatty acids. These fatty acids can protect against cancer and boost immunity. They are also antifungal. Short and medium chain fatty acids are also more easily broken down for energy, which means it is actually less likely that the fat in butter will be stored in the body.

I’m not saying that going out and eating a whole stick of butter is healthy, but in moderation it is ok. If you’re trying to lower your cholesterol, it requires more than just cutting out saturated fat. It requires a lifestyle change. All in all, you should not be eating margarine. Butter is by far the superior choice.