YSCN0023 FALL 2010

2009027556 CHAN CASEY LONG TUNG

Margarine vs Butter

Big debate:
processed vs natural;
vegetable vs animal?

Introduction People once thought that margarine is a much better

Truths! & Fallacies!

substitute for butter in the sense that it contains much less saturated
fats(which is bad for the heart) and no cholesterol. However, many of
them missed out the point that margarine is a processed product, and an
even harmful by-product is formed - trans fats.

How’s margarine hydrogenation is undergone in Truths

made? and how about
butter?
Margarine I bet many of
us would know that margarine
is made from vegetable oils like
soy, corn, cottonseed, etc.;
which is why making people
think that
margarine is
healthier than
that of the
animal one -
butter. But what
makes liquid-like oils to
become something solid
(RESEMBLES butter i.e
substitute)? In fact, some
artificial chemical processes
have to be undergone. As
nickel being a metal catalyst, a
ch e m i c a l p ro c e s s n a m e d
a pressurized heat reactor. In
addition, margarine’s natural
color is grey, so it’s later been
bleached, so as to make it look
like butter.
Butter Whereas, butter is
simply ‘condensed’ from milk,
holding mostly the fats of it.
Tr u t h # 1 B u t t e r
contains cholesterol while
margarine doesn’t. Yeah,
that’s true. Cholesterol is an
essential for all animals, it
carries out important
functions, like transporting
blood plasma, help maintain
m e m b r a n e p e r m e a b i l i t y,
fluidity, etc. Nonetheless, a
high level of cholesterol would
cause coronary heart diseases.
Tr u t h # 2 B u t t e r
contains higher saturated
fats than margarine. True
again. Refer to Table ^, for
every tablespoon of butter, it
contains 7g of saturated fats,
comparing to just 1-2g for
margarine.
Chemistry Table^ of fat components
corner in butter and margarine
RECOMMENDE BUTTER* SOFT-TUB STICK
Saturated fats D INTAKE PER MARGARINE* MARGARINE*
DAY
have no double
bonds within their Saturated fats <23g 7g 1g 2g
m o l e c u l a r
structure. It can Unsaturated fats <47g 4g 5g 9g
raises blood levels
Trans fats <2.3g 0.3g 0-0.5g 3g
of LDL ‘bad’
cholesterol. Cholesterol <300mg 33mg 0mg 0mg
Unsaturated fats - Cis
* per tablespoon
is a fat molecule
containing one or Fallacies Conclusion
more double
bonds. The ‘kink’ Fa l l a c y # 1 B u t t e r My motto of choosing food is:
is where the
double bond is located. Replacing
contains cholesterol, eat appropriate amount of
saturated fats with unsaturated fats lowers compared to margarine everything. Sometimes, we
levels of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol. without any, it’s less may not get the full
Trans fats healthier. Although butter information of either the pros
also contains contains cholesterol, it doesn’t or cons of different food. Of
double bonds like
mean butter is then less course, we know it’s good to
unsaturated fats.
But trans fats have different arrangement healthier. There are 2 types of have natural food(butter)
of double bonds, forming a straighter cholesterol - ‘bad’ and ‘good’ instead of processed
molecule. It can raise levels of LDL ‘bad’
cholesterol while lower the levels of HDL
ones. Butter contains both of ones(margarine). Though, it’s
‘good’ cholesterol. them. hard to avoid eating processed
Cholesterol food especially when we are
Fallacy #2 Margarine
mainly two types of bor n in the age full of
is a better substitute for
cholesterol - LDL processed foods. So, I would
‘bad’, HDL ‘good’ butter(i.e better for the
rather eat little of everything.
ones. Excess LDL heart), because it contain
one could clog No matter butter or margarine
less saturated fats. Though
inside blood vessels to form plaque, while
is better, eating a lot of a single
HDL one can pick up these excess LDL it’s true that butter contains
away to the liver for breaking down. food must not provide us with
more saturated fats than
the essential nutrients for us to
margarine, we cannot omit :
maintain a good health. Then,
margarine contains >30%
why not enjoy everything, by
artificial trans-fats, which is a
an appropriate amount?
by-product produced under the
chemical process when adding
hydrogen into the vegetable oil
molecules, is even more
harmful to the heart.

References
Gunstone, F. D. (2008). Oils and fats in the food industry. Oxford,
www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/b/butter-margarine.htm
Wiley-Blackwell Pub.
www.healthcastle.com/butter-or-margarine.shtml