For many people, enjoying bread with butter or margarine is a ritual that has become part of their routine..
However, as with other foods, different research has warned that excesses can have consequences on the health.
These spreads aren’t left out of the conversation either. And, in fact, specialists have warned that Each one can bring both positive and negative effects, depending on the needs. nutritional from each person.
Butter stands out for being high in saturated fats, while margarine is ultra-processed and several of them are high in trans fats..
This translates into Defining which is healthier on a general level can be a complex task..
However, a group of experts in this area shared a series of points that should be considered when choosing which one to incorporate into the diet.
The health effects of butter and margarine
Nutritionist and academic at the University of Minnesota, Lisa Harnack, assured the BBC that a diet high in man-made trans fats increases bad LDL cholesterol and reduces good HDL.
That contributes to there being an increased risk of heart disease.
Along with this, Harnack said that The trans fats found in certain margarines can have even more negative consequences on cholesterol than the saturated fats found in butter..
But not everything is so definitive, since according to what nutritionist and academic at the University of Newcastle, Clare Collins, told the aforementioned media, there is research that concludes that “Foods high in saturated fat are more likely to raise blood cholesterol if you already have heart disease, high cholesterol, or other heart disease risk factors.”
He even said that other scientific works have shown that High-fat foods—such as nuts and extra-virgin olive oil—can be beneficial, even though they contain polyunsaturated fats..
This is why nutritionist and professor at the University of Cambridge, Nita Forouhi, told the BBC that “We shouldn’t worry so much about total fat, what matters is the proportion of fats within them”.
In this sense, he specified that The general recommendation is that saturated fats do not represent more than 10% of our total energy.
In the same way, he assured that there are experiments that suggest that The food from which these fats come affects the impact what it will have on your health.
“Food is much more than the sum of its nutritional parts. (…) They have macronutrients, a lot of different micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, salt, additives and some are fermented,” he stressed.
And although items like margarine are ultra-processed — which is linked to higher risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease — specialists said that There is no scientific evidence that specifically compares its effects with those of butter in the long term..
This is due, as they said, to the fact that They tend to be grouped within the same food category.
For Deakin University researcher Melissa Lane, It is necessary that more studies be carried out to “compare the subgroups of ultra-processed foods with their alternatives that are not ultra-processed”.
Of course, he emphasized: “Results may differ depending on the health effect being investigated”.
“Margarine has the best nutritional profile in terms of being lower in saturated fat than butter. Both should be considered in the context of the entire diet. But evidence suggests there is an association between poor health and ultra-processed diets beyond nutrients”he added.
On the other hand, the Cambridge specialist said that If you consider that the components of each product can vary from one another, the best alternative in this sense are those that have less saturated fats, more polyunsaturated fats and do not have trans fats..
In the words of the Newcastle expert, “The bottom line is that it depends on how much you consume.”.
“If you’re spreading butter on toast once a week, and the rest of your diet is healthy, it probably doesn’t matter. But this is not what most people do.”.
Notably It is always advisable to go to a health professional to evaluate the foods that best suit your case. particular.
