Is Butter or Margarine Healthier?

What’s the difference between butter and margarine?

Put simply, modern margarine is a highly processed food product made from vegetable oils, while butter is basically concentrated dairy fat. Let’s take a closer look at each.

What to know about butter

Butter is a traditional dietary staple made by churning cream. People mainly use it as a frying fat, spread, or component of sauces, cakes, and pastries.

As a concentrated source of milk fat, it’s mostly composed of saturated fat.

Because of studies associating a high intake of saturated fat with an increased risk of heart disease, public health authorities started recommending that people limit their consumption of butter in 1961.

What to know about margarine

Margarine is a processed food designed to taste and look like butter. Experts often recommend it as a heart-healthy replacement.

Modern types of margarine are made from vegetable oils, which contain polyunsaturated fats that, when used instead of saturated fat, can lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Since vegetable oils are liquid at room temperature, food scientists change their chemical structure to make them solid like butter.

For the past few decades, a process known as hydrogenation has been used to harden the vegetable oils in margarine. Fully hydrogenated oils produce saturated fats. But partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) create unhealthy trans fats as a side productTrusted Source.

In 2020Trusted Source, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned PHOs in food products, meaning margarine sold in the United States no longer contains trans fats.

A more recent process called interesterificationTrusted Source achieves similar results without forming any trans fats.

In addition to hydrogenated or interesterified vegetable oils, modern margarine may contain several food additives, including emulsifiers and dyes.

Summary

Butter is a dairy product made by churning cream. Conversely, margarine is a product designed to imitate butter. While butter is mainly composed of dairy fat, margarine is typically produced from vegetable oils.

What are the health benefits and risks of butter?

Butter is more than 80% fatTrusted Source and very calorie-dense. Consuming butter in high quantities can have adverse health consequences. But depending on the source of your butter, it may also offer some valuable nutrients.

Health benefits of butter

The health effects of butter largely depend on the diet of the cows it comes from. Cows eat grass in their natural environment, but in many countries, their menu is largely based on grain-based feeds.

Butter from grass-fed cows appears to be a better source of many nutrients than butter from cows fed grains. It contains more:

• Vitamin K2: This little-known vitamin may help prevent many serious diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
• Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): Studies suggest that CLA, a fatty acid, can protect against cancer, obesity, and high blood pressure.
• Butyric acid: A short-chain fatty acid in butter, the bacteria in your intestines also produce butyric acid. 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 already eat too muchTrusted Source omega-6 fat.

Nonetheless, people generally consume butter in small amounts, and its contribution to the total dietary intake of these nutrients is low.

Health risks of butter

Some experts are worried about the large amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol in butter and advise people to limit their intake.

For decades, butter has been demonized for its high saturated fat content. It’s composed of around 52%Trusted Source saturated fat, while the rest is mainly water and unsaturated fat.

Scientists have linked diets high in saturated fat to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and other adverse health effects.

But recent research questions the strength of the evidence against saturated fats, proposing that the health risks are minimal.

While it’s true that saturated fat promotes higher levels of LDL cholesterol, the story is a bit more complex. They also boost your HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Some scientists think it’s important to consider the complete lipid profile when thinking about the benefits and risks of saturated fats.

The American Heart AssociationTrusted Source still recommends limiting your saturated fat intake to 6% of your daily calories, or about 13 grams if you consume 2,000 calories a day.

Butter is also high in cholesterol. However, researchers have found that consuming moderate amounts of cholesterol in your diet doesn’t raise blood levels in most peopleTrusted Source. The body compensates by producing less.

People who may be more sensitive to cholesterol, such as those with familial hypercholesterolemia, may be more susceptible to dietary cholesterol.

More high quality research is needed before scientists can fully understand saturated fat and cholesterol metabolism and their relevance to heart health.

What are the health benefits and risks of margarine?

After the FDA ban on trans fat, a 2021 study concluded that margarine was now more in line with dietary recommendations than butter. Still, the respective health benefits and risks may depend on your specific health situation.

Health benefits of margarine

The health benefits of margarine depend on what kind of vegetable oils it contains and how it is processed. Potential health benefits include:

• May be high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs): Soft margarine contains about 33%Trusted Source PUFAs, which doctors typically consider good for your health. Research suggests replacing saturated fats with PUFAs can reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
• May contain plant sterols and stanols: Some margarines are enriched with phytosterols or stanols. Studies link these compounds to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and a modest risk reduction for cardiovascular disease.
• Fewer calories than butter: Though not necessarily a health benefit, margarine does have fewer calories than butter, which may be important for people who need to manage their calorie intake.

Health risks of margarine

Although margarine may contain some heart-friendly nutrients, it may contain substances linked to an increased risk of heart disease and other chronic health issues. Potential health risks of margarine include:

• May contain trans fats: While margarine in the United States and Canada no longer contain trans fats, you may still encounter margarine with trans fats in other countries. The World Health Organization has called for the elimination of trans fats worldwide by 2025.
• May be high in omega-6 fats: Our bodies need omega-6 fats but most humans consume too much. The high omega-6 content in margarine can negatively affect your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
• May contain additives: Margarine can contain beneficial additives, like vitamins A and D, which are naturally in butter. But it can also contain other additives, like synthetic dyes, emulsifiers, salt, and other preservatives.

The bottom line

Butter and margarine look similar and have the same purpose in the kitchen. However, their nutritional profiles differ. While butter is high in saturated fat, margarine is rich in unsaturated fat.

Most margarines previously contained trans fats, but countries are slowly moving to ban trans fats due to the increased risk of chronic disease.

The health effects of saturated fat are highly controversial, and some scientists have downplayed its role in heart disease in recent years.

If you prefer margarine over butter, consider selecting products made with healthy oils, such as olive oil.

If butter is your favorite, consider buying products made from grass-fed cow’s milk.

While recent research notes that margarine without trans fats may be the healthier option, it may still come down to personal preference or your specific health needs. Whatever you choose, consume these products in moderation.