Butter vs Margarine: Which is Really Worse for You?

The French are known for high cuisine and food snobbery, so you might be surprised to learn that margarine was invented by a French scientist in the 19th century as a poor man's butter. So what are butter and margarine and what are the differences? Butter is cream and water, often with an addition of milk. It has been churned for centuries and is solid at room temperature as a saturated fat. Margarine is made from plant oils that have been turned solid through the process of hydrogenation. It is a man-made, engineered food product (does not occur naturally). The vegetable oils most often used for margarine are soybean, corn, canola, and rapeseed. The majority of these oils produced today are from GMO crops. Hydrogenated food products can expose consumers to high levels of trans fats. Trans fats compromise the membranes of cells, making consumers more susceptible to blockages, cancer, liver disease, and even infertility. The evidence is compelling enough that many companies are now voluntarily removing trans fats from their products. Better or Worse? So which do you choose? At first glance, it seems that butter is the clear winner. It's natural, you can buy it organically produced, and it's stable at room temperature. But there are a few other issues to consider. 1. Butter is a product made from milk. Factory dairy farming is a cruel business. The 9 million dairy cows in the US now give 116 billion pounds more milk a year than the 13 million dairy cows on farms in 1950.  They are often filled with antibiotics and fed GMO corn. Their calves are taken from them at birth and killed for veal. These are a few of the realities behind butter consumption beyond health. Suggestion: If you choose to eat butter, learn the source of the milk that makes your butter. 2. Saturated fats can be good for you. Your brain and body need fat to be healthy. But too much of it can lead to higher cholesterol and weight gain. Suggestion: Try whipped butter, which is lighter and reduces calorie intake significantly due to the whipping of air into the butter. 3. There are alternatives to both butter and hydrogenated margarine. Why not spread avocado on your toast instead or try non-hydrogenated coconut spread? Are you addicted to butter or margarine? What would you choose in place of them? Source: Viral Alternative News Do you follow us on Instagram? [caption id="attachment_103522" align="alignnone" width="100"] @BodyRockTV[/caption]