Many fitness freak claim that Margarine is better than butter. So health conscious people have started opting for Margarine instead of butter. Margarine is a form of butter which is not made up of dairy products. It is composed of refined vegetable oil, water, emulsifiers, colorants and some artificial flavors and additives. Margarine is hydrogenated as vegetable oil, which is liquid at room temperature. That is why it has harder consistency and longer shelf life.
Margarine is used for cooking, baking and spreads. It is used in doughnuts, pastries, cookies etc. margarine contains minimum 80% fat which is same as butter. So calorie wise butter and margarine are same. Butter is a natural product made up of fatty portion of cow’s milk. While Margarine is highly synthetic, distasteful, cheap and is loaded with additives and low grade vegetable oils.
Margarine and Heart Problems
Butter has bad image as it contains high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol. Initially margarine was suggested to people having heart disease and high cholesterol levels. So they were told to avoid consumption of fat and oil and margarine was the replacement of butter.
- According to the updated news from Scientists, Margarine is harmful for health. As margarine is made by the process of hydrogenation to make it harder at room temperature. Process of hydrogenation means exposing oils to high temperature, high pressure, hydrogen gas and a metal stimulant. This makes it noxious for health.
- It lowers down the good cholesterol level i.e. HDL in the body
- Vegetable oil used in margarine is unhealthy as they contain only polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty acids & deficient in Omega-3. Whereas our body needs more Omega- 3 than Omega-6.
- Polyunsaturated vegetable oil can lead to cancer and heart disease.
- It can block coronary arteries as it releases free radical molecules.
Butter is Good Because:
- It has natural saturated fats which are basic component of cell membranes.
- It is crucial for production of some hormones.
- Important for carrying and absorbing fat soluble vitamins and minerals.
- It has the anti-fungal, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.
- It is rich in Vit-K2 which fights serious diseases like osteoporosis and heart disease.
- It has more Omega-3 fatty acids required by our body.
- It enhances the good cholesterol level in our body which improves the brain and nervous system development.
Some people believe that to reduce weight one should wipe out fatty acids, oils from diet. Losing weight doesn’t mean that body is getting proper nutrition. Few nutritionists know actually that fatty acids are responsible and crucial for proper functioning of body. These fats are known as Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). These EFAs are responsible for:
- Development of healthy cell membranes
- Production of hormones
- Healthy skin and hair
- Thyroid and adrenal activity
- Maintaining BP, liver, immune & inflammatory functions
- Balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids is important as Omega -3 oil reduce blood clot and Omega-6 oil enhance blood clot
So don’t eliminate Fat entirely from your diet instead opting for homemade ghee and butter would make it a healthier option.
