Whether you use it to fry your eggs, melt and bake potatoes, use on popcorn
or simply spread on toast. Chances are butter has been part of your life and diet.
Or is it margarine? What is the difference between butter and margarine and is one
healthier than the other? Butter, made from cream or milk has been used for
thousands of years. But scientists eventually took notice of its high
levels of saturated fat. With more than 35 calories per teaspoon, butter
is fattening. When we look at the molecules of butter we see some of the
building blocks of life, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. But these carbon atoms are
completely surrounded by the hydrogen atoms. And this saturation level
quickly became associated with, and commonly believed to contribute to
cardiovascular disease. Margarine on the other hand is created primarily from
plant oils which have a similar but different chemical composition. The
carbons double bond with each other so that fewer hydrogen can fit and we call
this unsaturated fat. So far so good, a similar tasting substitute with less
saturated fat. Right?
Not so fast, unsaturated fat has a lower melting point and so its natural state
is less solid, like vegetable oil.
In order to get the consistency of butter scientists decided to make it a
little more saturated.
The problem is through this process called hydrogenation where more
hydrogen is added and the oil becomes more solid, high temperatures are used
which cause some troublesome changes.
You see, most of these double bonds are in a configuration known as "cis bonds",
but hydrogenation often flips them into something called a "trans configuration".
Ah, the dawn of trans fats.
And while it may seem trivial, this simple yet unwitting flip from "cis" to
"trans"
leads to significant changes in the way our body processes and metabolizes the
molecules. Essentially trans fats lower good cholesterol and higher the bad
cholesterol which increases the risk of coronary heart disease. So while margarine was
initially seen as a healthier option, it's own hazards slowly came to light.
But the truth is that many margarine companies claim to be trans fat-free
nowadays, and some are. At the end of the day if we compare them side by side
there are pros and cons for each. Butter is completely natural and typically made
from one ingredient, whereas margarine is processed and has many ingrediants. Butter
also has some essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin a and e. But margarines
now vary so much it is difficult to make an accurate comparison. Many hard
stick margarines are still high in trans fats and much worse than butter. But some
newer margarines are much lower in saturated fat, lower their calorie count and
contain zero trans fats. The bottom line is to be aware of what you are eating.
Margarine can vary so drastically that looking at the label to understand what
is or isn't and it will help you make informed decisions.
And there are healthier alternatives to both,
such as vegetable oil spreads or using olive oil to dip your bread instead
of buttering up.
No matter what you choose, the recommended goal is to limit the intake
of saturated fat and avoid trans fats altogether.
This episode of AsapSCIENCE is supported by audible.com, a leading provider of
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types of literature. If you would like to learn more about food science
I recommend the book "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert Wolke.
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