Margarine vs Butter: What is the Main Difference?

Butter and Margarine

Butter and Margarine are both yellow in their appearances. They are available in different forms such as sticks or spreads, and they are used for multiple cooking and baking purposes. Both Butter and Margarine are made up of different types of ingredients. Moreover, they are enriched with different health benefits. Butter is made from heavy cream. Thus, it contains high levels of saturated fat in it. This can lead to several health-related risks. Whereas, when we talk about margarine, it is made from vegetable oils. It contains unsaturated fats that serve as “good” fats in the body. Margarine comes in many forms.

All about Butter

Butter is a dietary staple that is made after churning the cream. The main usage can be;

• Used as frying fat
• Used as spread
• Used in some sauces
• Used in baking items

It contains a major amount of milk fat that is also known as saturated fat. The high intake of saturated fat can lead to fatal health problems that include heart disease as well.

Some health benefits of butter are as follows:

Butter might contain several nutrients that are not found in other foods. There are several nutrients that are found in butter. These nutrients are important as some of them are not available or found in different food products. For instance, butter from grass-fed cows may provide some vitamin K2, which has been associated with improved bone health [1, 2]. Butter’s health effects are related to the type of diet cows (or buffalo, goats, etc.) consume. In general, these animals usually eat grass, plants, or leaves. But in many countries, they are fed a diet that contains grain-based feeds.

Mammals who eat grass produce milk that is enriched with:

• Vitamin K2 – vitamin K2 is a very known vitamin that may help prevent many serious diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) – studies suggest that this fatty acid can have anti-cancer properties and help lower your body fat percentage.
• Butyrate – A short-chain fatty acid found in butter that is also produced by bacteria in the intestine. It can fight inflammation, improve digestive health, and may help prevent weight gain.
• Omega-3 – Grass-fed butter has less omega-6 and more omega-3, which is important because most people are already eating too much omega-6 fat.

Risk factors related to butter – Apart from these there are certain risks of eating butter as well and they are as follows;

• They are very high in saturated fat content

• The percentage of saturated fat in them is about 50%.
• Apart from this the rest of the butter contains some percentage of water and unsaturated fat.
• The high percentage of saturated fat in them can result in heart disease. There are studies that show that eating less butter or less saturated fat can reduce the risk of heart disease by 17% when it is replaced with polyunsaturated fat.
• Another thing is that saturated fat simply promotes the levels of ‘bad cholesterol’ that is LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein).
• High intake of saturated fat has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, but the evidence is inconsistent. The issue is one of the most controversial in nutrition science.

• Butter is high in cholesterol

• Butter is very high in cholesterol as well.
• High cholesterol level is related to a high risk of heart disease. There are several studies that show that high blood levels of cholesterol were associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
• Although several studies have been going on and it is found that butter is high in cholesterol. However, it has limited effects on blood cholesterol levels in most people.

All about Margarine

When we talk about margarine, margarine is made from vegetable oils. It contains unsaturated fats that serve as ‘good’ fats in the body. Margarine is a type of processed food that is manufactured to taste and look like butter. It is often recommended as a heart-healthy replacement.

• Another fact about margarine is that they are made up of polyunsaturated fat. These polyunsaturated fats can help in lowering the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.
• It is known that vegetable oils are liquid at room temperature. But scientists changed their chemical structure to make them solid like butter. The process by which these vegetable oils get hardened is known as hydrogenation.
• Because of the hydrogenation of the oil, the saturated fat content of the oil increases. Moreover, unhealthy trans-fat is also formed as a side product.

The Health benefits of margarine can be categorized as;

• It may be high in polyunsaturated fat
• Most margarine is high in polyunsaturated fats. The exact amount depends on what vegetable oils are used while producing it. For instance, soybean oil-based margarine may contain approximately 20% polyunsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fat is considered healthy. It may even have benefits for heart health when compared to saturated fat.

• It May contain plant Sterols and Stanols
• There are certain margarine that have phytosterols and stanols. Vegetables usually are enriched with these compounds.
• These phytosterols may reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol. Moreover, they do not seem to affect the heart disease risk.

Risks that are related to the consumption of margarine;

• It might contain trans-fat.

• Trans fat has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and other chronic health issues. Many migraines are high in trans-fat. Therefore, the consumption of the excessive amounts of trans fat can lead to a high risk of chronic disease. Although, there are many kinds of margarine that are said to be trans-fat-free.

• It might be high in Omega-6 Fat nutrient

• There are different types of polyunsaturated fat, and they are divided into different categories. Migraines usually contain high levels of polyunsaturated omega 6. The excessive intake of omega-6 can lead to inflammation. There are controlled studies that do not support this theory.

After seeing all the benefits and risks of both butter and margarine, you can choose what suits you best. There are many different alternatives as well that can be better options. For instance;

• Applesauce can substitute for many wet ingredients like butter or oil in baking.
• Various plant oils can be used for cooking, such as avocado, canola, and vegetable oil.
• Greek yogurt, which can vary in fats and other nutrients, can be substituted for butter while baking.

Conclusion

After going through both the food item that is Butter as well as Margarine. Several benefits and risk factors can be seen. These risk factors, as well as health benefits, differ as well as seem to be similar as well. Therefore, in conclusion, we can say that;

• Butter, as well as margarine both, look similar.
• Both are used for the same purpose in the kitchen.
• Their nutritional profile differs from one another.
• Butter is high in saturated fat whereas margarine is high in unsaturated fat and sometimes trans-fat as well.
• The health effects of saturated fat are highly controversial, and its role in heart disease has been downplayed in recent years.
• If you prefer margarine over butter, make sure to choose trans-fat-free brands and select products made with healthy oils, such as olive oil.
• If the butter is your favorite, consider buying products made from grass-fed cow’s milk.