Which is healthier- margarine or butter?

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nomex
nomex Posts: 142 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am soo confused. There seems to be so much contradictory information out there. Which is better for you margarine or butter? WHY?
I tend to eat pretty basic and simple foods, and have always tried to eat butter (seems closer to the true source). But as I read more, I am just more and more confused about which is better for you.... PLEASE HELP!

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  • chrysnel
    chrysnel Posts: 78
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    Butter is definitely better - but make sure you use it in moderation! Margarine is full of nasty things and from what I have read, is only one ingredient away from plastic! Ever wonder why if you leave it out on the counter it never grows mold? That's a pretty good sign it's made of nasty things - even the bacteria won't eat it! :laugh:
  • KatherineVictoria
    KatherineVictoria Posts: 68
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    I don't know which is better for you, but I always choose butter. I would much rather use only a little bit of fattening butter than put any amount of margarine, which is basically plastic, into my body!

    Land o lakes whipped butter is really good! Not bad on calories either!
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    butter is a natural, whole food made from whipped cream.

    Butter should have ingredients that say cream, salt.
  • Serafimangel
    Serafimangel Posts: 174 Member
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    Agree, butter is better. Margerine has been expreimented on and yes, never moulds (neither does fast food hamburgers, if you can look up that experiment it is frightening, the bun nor the meat changes for weeks compared to a home made one, scary).

    I think low fat/calorie stuff, etc in general can be good, but sometimes they can be worse than their possibly higher calorie/fat counterparts.
  • BrownSquare
    BrownSquare Posts: 7
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    I heard just to stick to something without hydrogenated oil. Butter has no hydrogenated oil but margarine does I believe. I use Smart Balance Light margarine which is one of the few without hydrogenated oils and lower in calories than butter. Hope this helps! :smile:
  • Rurouni_Kou
    Rurouni_Kou Posts: 180 Member
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    Butter is better. Margarine is a processed thing whose components tend to sway with whatever fad is hip for the day. Oh! Look! Margarine with no polyunsaturated fat! Oh Wait, fats are in now, margarine now has GOOD fats but no bad fats. Oh, wait now no trans fats. Hey those with cholesterol problems, now we have low cholesterol lowering margarine!

    Yeah, DEFINITELY butter. Margarine doesn't doesn't even fit my classification of "food". It's a "food like substance" that is chemically tailored to whatever diet fad is in for the day. Stick with butter. It isn't "healthy" but it is much better for you than margarine and it's quite fine for you in moderation.

    I seem to recall Michael Pollan had a good section describing margarines history in "In Defense of Food". Excellent book, definitely worth a read.

    "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly greens." - M. Polland
  • KokomoJoe
    KokomoJoe Posts: 435
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    Butter is better but I don't use it that much anyways.
  • valeriebpdx
    valeriebpdx Posts: 499 Member
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    The recommended dietary allowance of trans fats (which is all margarine is) is ZERO. Butter is no health food, but it is delicious and at least it's made of real food. The spreads with omegas and no trans fat are fine, but they don't taste as good so you tend to use more, making it a calorie wash. For myself and my family, it's real butter but just not as much as I want. :)
  • Mrs_McFadden
    Mrs_McFadden Posts: 1,139
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    Butter is better. Margarine is a processed thing whose components tend to sway with whatever fad is hip for the day. Oh! Look! Margarine with no polyunsaturated fat! Oh Wait, fats are in now, margarine now has GOOD fats but no bad fats. Oh, wait now no trans fats. Hey those with cholesterol problems, now we have low cholesterol lowering margarine!

    Yeah, DEFINITELY butter. Margarine doesn't doesn't even fit my classification of "food". It's a "food like substance" that is chemically tailored to whatever diet fad is in for the day. Stick with butter. It isn't "healthy" but it is much better for you than margarine and it's quite fine for you in moderation.

    I seem to recall Michael Pollan had a good section describing margarines history in "In Defense of Food". Excellent book, definitely worth a read.

    "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly greens." - M. Polland

    gg, I like Polland..

    Anyway, as everyone else said, stick to real things. Real food, real things, given moderation and good decisions will not fail you.
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
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    Well, since margarine is one molecule away from plastic and has 27 ingredients in common with PAINT..... Nuff said.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    I love my Lactantia Healthy Attitude Omega 3 margarine. I never really thought about it as "artificial" ... I think I'm in denial. Though, it doesn't even have 20 ingredients, so it couldn't quite have 27 ingredients in common with paint. :P
  • mountainwoman98
    mountainwoman98 Posts: 182 Member
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    Both my Dr. and my nutrition advisor have told me that margarine is a no-no. Butter is better for you in small amounts. You just have to remember that it is alot of fat in there. I use land o lakes spreadable with canola oil but try not to go over 2 tsp. a day.
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
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    Here's where I read abt the 27 ingredients:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/172262-butter-vs-margarine
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    Butter is better. Use it with moderation and it's actually good for you.

    Margarine has the partially hydrogenated oils which are not natural.

    Eat foods that are as close to nature as possible when in doubt, they will almost always be better for you.
  • nomex
    nomex Posts: 142 Member
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    thanks all! That fits with what I was thinking, but I was beginning to second guess myself when I read a medical journal this past week (it was in print, so I can't reference it here). It came to the conclusion that margarine was healthier for you. I had a hard time believing that, and it goes against my farm girl beliefs that you eat "real food" not man made or synthetic products. thanks for all your opinions and your time to reply!

    I don't eat alot of butter at all, which is why I don't mind paying that kind of price for the real thing.... but sometimes when we go camping I will buy margarine for the packaging and convenience. I never liked the thought of ingesting it even on those occasions! I do like butter (the real thing) on my popcorn!

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