HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 15, 2021 (HealthDay Information) — Margarine has gotten a nasty rap for years, however a U.S. ban on partially hydrogenated oils might have made it a more healthy selection than butter, a brand new examine suggests.
Earlier than the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration banned such oils in 2018, margarine contained these oils, that are heavy in trans fats and lift dangerous (“LDL“) levels of cholesterol whereas decreasing good (“HDL”) levels of cholesterol. Consuming trans fats additionally will increase the danger of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
“Margarines are a greater possibility than butter for heart health, with tub and squeeze margarines being the very best choices,” stated lead researcher Cecily Weber, a dietetic intern on the College of Minnesota Faculty of Public Well being, in Minneapolis.
The examine staff “additionally discovered that margarine and butter mix merchandise comprise much less saturated fat and extra unsaturated fats than common butter,” she added.
“This can be a public well being success story. It’s now simpler for [U.S.] shoppers to make heart-healthy selections as a result of they now not want to fret about checking the labels of merchandise to search for partially hydrogenated oils for trans fats, they’ll simply know the merchandise do not comprise them,” Weber stated.
For the examine, which had no funding from margarine makers, Weber and her colleagues examined the fatty acid content material of 83 margarine and margarine-like and butter blends offered in the USA, evaluating them with butter.
The investigators discovered that after the ban, margarine and butter mix merchandise had considerably much less saturated fats and cholesterol, in contrast with butter. These merchandise additionally had no man-made trans fats.
The softer tub and squeeze tube margarines contained much less saturated fats than stick margarines, which makes them the more healthy selection amongst margarines, Weber famous.
“Stick margarines comprise extra saturated fats than tub or squeeze margarines, which permits them to be extra agency at room temperature,” she stated. “Nonetheless, for coronary heart well being, present dietary suggestions are to restrict saturated fats consumption.”
Weber added that though margarines offered in the USA are more healthy than they was once, they need to nonetheless be eaten sparsely.
“Whereas margarines are a greater possibility than butter for coronary heart well being, they need to nonetheless be eaten sparingly, as they do nonetheless comprise some saturated fats and have a excessive vitality density; that’s, they comprise a excessive quantity of energy per serving dimension,” she defined.
The report was revealed on-line lately within the journal Public Health Nutrition.
Samantha Heller, a senior medical nutritionist at NYU Langone Well being in New York Metropolis, cautioned that as a substitute of margarine or butter, the actually more healthy possibility is to make use of vegetable oils.
“Whether or not the unfold comes from cows or chemists, it’s the content material of saturated fats that makes the distinction,” she stated. “It’s the saturated fats, these fat which can be stable at room temperature, resembling butter, lard, bacon and hen fats, and from the plant world, palm and coconut oil, that we need to restrict.”
These fat improve the danger for inflammation, and cardiovascular and different power illnesses, Heller stated.
“Strive utilizing extra oils which can be liquid at room temperature, resembling further virgin olive oil, canola, avocado, walnut, sesame or sunflower oils in spreads, sauces and cooking,” she prompt.
“Oils will be flavored with vinegars, spices, herbs and add-ins like sun-dried tomatoes,” Heller stated. “Use nut and seed butters as a substitute of butter on toast, and olive oil on potatoes and greens. For recipes that want stable fat, for instance in baking, then a plant-based unfold or butter is okay to make use of.”
Extra data
For extra on saturated fats, head to the American Heart Association.
SOURCES: Cecily Weber, dietetic intern, College of Minnesota Faculty of Public Well being, Minneapolis; Samantha Heller, MS, RD, CDN, senior medical nutritionist, NYU Langone Well being, New York Metropolis; Public Well being Diet, Nov. 2, 2021, on-line
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