Butter is made from cream, so it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Eating a diet high in saturated fat leads to an elevated cholesterol level, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Experts recommend we keep it to less than 7% of the fat we eat.
Margarine is a popular substitute for butter because it is made from vegetable oils that do not have saturated fats. Vegetable oils contain polyunsaturated fats that may help lower your cholesterol levels when used in place of saturated fats.
This sounds like the perfect heart-healthy solution, doesn’t it? Well, not always. Consider several factors if you are switching from butter to margarine.
Some types of hard stick margarine are high in trans fats, which may be more harmful than saturated fat. Trans fats raise "bad" LDL cholesterol. When you buy margarine, be sure to read the Nutrition Facts Labels, which must state the amount of trans fat per serving.
You may also want to pay attention to the type of vegetable oil used in your margarine. Corn oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil all contain large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids and little omega-3 fatty acids. Both of these fats are essential because we need to get them from our diets. However, most people get plenty of omega-6 fatty acids and not enough omega-3 fatty acids. Choosing margarine that is made from canola oil or that is enhanced with omega-3 fatty acids is one way to increase your intake of this important fat.
Some brands of margarine, such as Benecol, contain phytochemicals called sterols that may reduce high cholesterol levels when used regularly.
Sources: Nestel P, Cehun M, Pomeroy S, Abbey M, Weldon G. "Cholesterol-lowering effects of plant sterol esters and non-esterified stanols in margarine, butter and low-fat foods." Eur J Clin Nutr. 2001 Dec;55(12):1084-90.
Tonstad S, Strom EC, Bergei CS, Ose L, Christophersen B. "Serum cholesterol response to replacing butter with a new trans-free margarine in hypercholesterolemic subjects." Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2001 Oct;11(5):320-6.
Han SN, Leka LS, Lichtenstein AH, Ausman LM, Schaefer EJ, Meydani SN. Effect of hydrogenated and saturated, relative to polyunsaturated, fat on immune and inflammatory responses of adults with moderate hypercholesterolemia. J Lipid Res. 2002 Mar;43(3):445-52.
Lichtenstein AH, Erkkila AT, Lamarche B, Schwab US, Jalbert SM, Ausman LM. "Influence of hydrogenated fat and butter on CVD risk factors: remnant-like particles, glucose and insulin, blood pressure and C-reactive protein." Atherosclerosis. 2003 Nov;171(1):97-107.
Lichtenstein AH, Ausman LM, Jalbert SM, Schaefer EJ. "Effects of different forms of dietary hydrogenated fats on serum lipoprotein cholesterol levels." N Engl J Med. 1999 Jun 24;340(25):1933-40.
