Health benefits of butter and margarine

Health benefits of butter and margarine

Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning cream or milk to separate the solid components from the liquid. Butter is commonly used in cooking, baking, and as a spread. Heart health is a common concern; as such, making the best dietary choices is an important issue. Here we will help decide whether butter or margarine is best.
How to choose Between Butter and margarine. The decision of whether to choose butter or margarine is dependent on the individual and their specific dietary needs. Maintaining proper nutrition is a personal undertaking. What makes sense for one person might not be in the best interest of the next.

The Brief History of Butter
Butter is as old as Western civilization. In ancient Rome, it was medicinal swallowed for coughs or spread on aching joints.

In India, Hindus have been offering Lord Krishna tins full of ghee luscious, clarified butter for at least 3,000 years. And in the Bible, butter is a food for celebration, first mentioned when Abraham and Sarah offer three visiting angels a feast of meat, milk and the creamy yellow spread. Butter origins are likely more humble, though. Rumor has it a nomad made the first batch by accident. He probably tied a sheepskin bag of milk to his horse and, after a day of jostling, discovered the handy transformation so many generations have noticed and learned to apply: Churned milk fat solidifies into something amazing. The oldest known butter making technique still in use today is remarkable. Farmers in Syria skin a goat, tie the hide up tight, then fill it with milk and begin shaking.

Although some of the earliest records of butter consumption come from Roman and Arabian sources, Mediterranean people have always favoured oil in their cooking. By the 12th century, the butter business was booming across northern Europe. Records show that Scandinavian merchants exported tremendous amounts each year, making the spread a central part of their economy. Butter was so essential to life in Norway, for example, that the King demanded a full bucket every year as a tax.

By middle Ages, eaters across much of Europe were hooked. Butter was popular among peasants as a cheap source of nourishment and prized by nobility for the richness it added to cooked meats and vegetables. For one month out of each year, however, the mostly-Christian Europeans made due without their favourite fat. Until the 1600s, butter-eating was banned during Lent.

For northern Europeans without access to cooking oils, meal-making could be a struggle during the weeks before Easter. Butter proved so necessary to cooking, in fact, that the wealthy often paid the Church a hefty tithe for permission to eat the fat during the month of self-denial. Demand for this perk was so high that in Rouen, in northwestern France, the Cathedral’s Tour de Beurre or Butter. Tower was financed and built with such tithes.

Across the English Channel in Ireland, butter was so critical to the Irish economy that merchants opened a Butter Exchange in Cork to help regulate the trade. Today, barrels of ancient Irish butter, which were traditionally buried in bogs for aging, are among the most common archeological finds in the Emerald Isle.
In France, butter was in such high demand by the 19th century that Emperor Napoleon III offered a large prize for anyone who could manufacture a substitute of butter which later give birth to margarine (artificial butter). In 1869, a French chemist won the award for a new spread made of rendered beef fat and flavoured with milk. He called it “oleomargarine,” later shortened to just margarine.
Across the Atlantic, butter consumption started with the pilgrims, who packed several barrels for their journey on the Mayflower. During the next three centuries, butter became a staple of the American farm. At the turn of the 20th century, Americans’ annual consumption was an astonishing 18 pounds of butter per capita nearly a stick and a half per person per week.

The Great Depression and World War II challenged America’s love affair with butter. The turmoil brought shortages and rationing, and margarine. Now made with vegetable oil and yellow food colouring. Thus, became a cheaper option for American families. Butter consumption took a nosedive. Since then, however, butter has staged a comeback. Researchers have discovered that the ingredients in old-style margarine are significantly worse for heart health than the saturated fats found in natural butter. The news has lured more and more Americans back to their buttery traditions. The passion for delectable cuisine is bolstering consumption once again as artisanal butters appear in chilled grocery cases across the country. And at top restaurants around the globe, chefs are doing extraordinary things with this millennia-old food, creating an exciting new page in the history of butter.

A Brief History of Margarine
Margarine originated with the discovery by French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul in 1813 of margaric acid ( named after the pearly deposits of the fatty acid from Greek μαργαρίτης or μάργαρον (margaritēs / márgaron), meaning pearl-oyster or pearl or μαργαρίς (margarís), meaning palm-tree, hence the relevance to palmitic acid)
Michel Eugène Chevreul was a French chemist whose work with fatty acids led to early applications in the fields of art and science. He is credited with the discovery of margaric acid, creatine and designing an early form of soap made from animal fats and salt. He lived to 102 and was a pioneer in the field of gerontology.
He is also one of the 72 people whose names are inscribed on the Eiffel Tower of those 72 scientists and engineers, Chevreul was one of only two who were still alive when Eiffel planted theFrench Tricolor on the top of the tower on 31 March 1889. Margarine or oleomargarine was first created in 1869 by a French chemist called Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès. It was originally made from beef fat for the intention intended to be a cheaper and less perishable option to regular butter.

Over time, vegetable oils such as cottonseed and soybean oils replaced the animal fats. During the World War I margarine was almost exclusively made from these vegetable oils only.
Many people worried that the new margarine was an unwholesome, adulterated food while others loved its lower price and longer shelf-life. Margarine became even more popular between 1930s and 1940s during the Depression and World War II because of its cheaper price and a scarcity of butter and its popularity really took off in the second half of the 20th century when it became the trend to shun traditional saturated fats like butter and lard.

Why Butter consumption is preferable to Margarine?
Unless you are aware of the history behind margarine, you would never know that it was ever anything other than the “healthier” alternative to butter. Between 1870s to1950s there was an on-going war over margarine, but hardly anyone seems to be concerned about fighting that war now. Margarine is considered by most to be a perfectly acceptable food that is healthier than butter. When you compare margarine with butter it’s hard to imagine why anyone would prefer margarine to butter. Margarine is an artificial product that did not even exist until just 205 (1813-2018) years ago compare it to the thousands of years that butter has been in existent.

Margarines that claim to be “made from natural ingredients” aren’t really natural at all once they have been so heavily processed and heated at high temperatures that the oils have oxidized, which will actually contribute to inflammation in the body, rather than being heart healthy as compared to butter.
Butter, on the other hand, is a traditional food that our ancestors have been eating for generations. Butter is a simple, natural food that does not require any heavy processing at all. You could even make it in your own kitchen, unlike margarine which has only oxidized oils and other ingredients that you probably can’t even see their nutritional values. Real butter from grass-fed cows has enough nutrients that it could be called a superfood. Ancient cultures actually revered butter as a sacred, life-giving food from God.
Butter from healthy grass-fed cows raised on pasture is an excellent source of these nutrients:

1. Conjugated lineolic acid (CLA). This is an anti-inflammatory fatty acid that is found in the highest concentration in butter from grass-fed cows.

2. Vitamin A in the more easily absorbable retinol form.

3. Trace minerals, including the antioxident Selenium

4. Iodine

5. Vitamin K2

Thus, the following are some of the most important benefits of butter compared to margarine:

Heart Disease
Heart disease was rare in world at the turn of the century. Between 1920 and 1960, the incidence of heart disease rose precipitously to become world number one killer disease.
During the same period butter consumption plummeted from eighteen pounds per person per year to four. Actually butter contains many nutrients that protect us from heart disease.
First among these is vitamin A which is needed for the health of the thyroid and adrenal glands, both of which play a role in maintaining a proper functioning of the heart and cardiovascular system. Abnormalities of the heart and larger blood vessels occur in babies born to vitamin A deficient mothers. Butter is world best and most easily absorbed source of vitamin A. Butter contains lecithin, a substance that assists in the proper assimilation and metabolism of cholesterol and other fat constituents.

Butter also contains a number of anti-oxidants that protect heart against the kind of free radical damage that weakens the arteries. Vitamin A and vitamin E found in butter both play a strong anti-oxidant role. Butter is a very rich source of selenium, a vital anti-oxidant–containing more per gram than herring or wheat germ.
Butter is also good dietary source of cholesterol. Cholesterol is an anti-oxidant. Yes indeed, cholesterol is a potent anti-oxidant that is flooded into the blood when we take in too many harmful free-radicals usually from damaged and rancid fats in margarine and highly processed vegetable oils. A Medical Research Council survey showed that people eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine.

Cancer
In the 1940’s research indicated that increased fat intake caused cancer. The abandonment of butter accelerated; margarine formerly a poor man’s food was accepted by the well-to-do. But there was a small problem with the way this research was presented to the public. The popular press neglected to stress the fact that the “saturated” fats used in these experiments were not naturally saturated fats but partially hydrogenated or hardened fats. Which is found in margarine and not in butter.

Actually many of the saturated fats in butter have strong anti-cancer properties. Butter is rich in short and medium chain fatty acid chains that have strong anti-tumor effects. Butter also contains conjugated linoleic acid which gives excellent protection against cancer attack. Vitamin A, anti-oxidants, vitamin E, selenium and cholesterol in butter protect heart against cancer as well as other heart disease.

Immune System
Vitamin A found in butter is essential to a healthy immune system; short and medium chain fatty acids also have immune system strengthening properties. But hydrogenated fats and an excess of long chain fatty acids found in polyunsaturated oils and many butter substitutes both have a deleterious effect on the immune system.

Arthritis
The Wulzen or anti-stiffness factor is a nutrient unique to butter. Dutch researcher Wulzen found that it protects against calcification of the joints, degenerative arthritis as well as hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland. Unfortunately this vital substance is destroyed during pasteurization. Calves fed pasteurized milk or skim milk develops joint stiffness and do not thrive. Their symptoms are reversed when raw butterfat is added to the diet.

Osteoporosis
Vitamins A and D that is present in butter are essential to the proper absorption of calcium and hence necessary for strong bones and teeth formation. The plague of osteoporosis in milk-drinking may be due to the fact that most people choose skim milk over whole, thinking it is good for them. Butter also has anti-cariogenic effects, that is, it protects against tooth and born decay.

Thyroid Gland
Butter is a good source of iodine, in highly absorbable form. Butter consumption prevents goiter in mountainous areas where seafood is not available. In addition, vitamin A in butter is essential for proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

Gastrointestinal Health
Butter-fat contains glycospingolipids, a special category of fatty acids that protect against gastro-intestinal infection, especially in the very young and the elderly people. For this reason, children who drink skim milk have diarrhea at rates three to five times greater than children who drink whole milk. Cholesterol in butter-fat that promotes health of the intestinal wall and also protects it against cancer of the colon. Short and medium chain fatty acids protect against pathogens because of strong anti-fungal effects. Butter thus has an important role to play in the treatment of candida overgrowth.

Weight Gain
The notion that butter causes weight gain is a sad misconception. The short and medium chain fatty acids in butter are not stored in the adipose tissue, but are used for quick energy. Fat tissue in humans is composed mainly of longer chain fatty acids. These come from olive oil and polyunsaturated oils as well as from refined carbohydrates. Because butter is rich in nutrients, it confers a feeling of satisfaction when consumed. Can it be that consumption of margarine and other butter substitutes results in cravings and bingeing because these highly fabricated products do not give the body what our body need.

Growth and Development
Butter ensures optimal growth of children. The greatest among them is vitamin A. Individuals who have been deprived of sufficient vitamin A during gestation tend to have narrow faces and skeletal structure, small palates and crowded teeth. Extreme vitamin A deprivation results in blindness, skeletal problems and other birth defects. Individuals receiving optimal vitamin A from the time of conception have broad handsome faces, strong straight teeth, and excellent bone structure. Vitamin A also plays an important role in the development of the sex characteristics. Calves fed butter substitutes sicken and die before reaching maturity.

The Family Farm
A nation that consumes butter-fat, on the other hand, is a nation that sustains the family farm. If Americans were willing to pay a good price for high quality butter and cream, from cows raised on natural pasturage every owner of a small or medium-sized farm could derive financial benefits from owning a few Jersey or Guernsey cows. In order to give them green pasture, he would naturally need to rotate crops, leaving different sections of his farm for his cows to graze and at the same time giving the earth the benefit of a period of fallow not to mention the benefit of high quality manure.

Fields tended in this way produce very high quality vegetables and grains in subsequent seasons, without the addition of nitrogen fertilizers and with minimal use of pesticides. Chickens running around his barnyard, and feeding off bugs that gather under cowpaddies, would produce eggs with superb nutritional qualities–absolutely bursting with vitamin A and highly beneficial fatty acids.

If you wish to reestablish America as a nation of prosperous farmers in the best Jeffersonian tradition, buy organic butter, cream, whole milk, whole yoghurt, and barn-free eggs. These bring good and fair profits to the yeoman producer without concentrating power in the hands of conglomerates.
Ethnic groups that do not use butter obtain the same nutrients from things like insects, organ meats, fish eggs and the fat of marine animals, food items most of us find repulsive. For Americans–who do not eat bugs or blubber butter is not just better, it is essential.

Note: Africa please starts consumption of butter; try to avoid margarine consumption if possible.

Difference between butter and margarine

The most important difference is that butter contains saturated fat and much margarine contains trans fats.
Trans fat raises LDL (bad) cholesterol significantly while lowering HDL (good) cholesterol. Saturated fat also raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, but less than trans fats, and does not affect HDL. There is not a truly healthful option when it comes to butter or margarine, but the following tips can help make choosing the best butter or margarine easier:

1. Look for margarine with the least amount of trans fat – preferably 0 grams – and be sure to check the ingredient
   label for partially hydrogenated oils.
2. Be aware that food companies can claim a product contains zero trans fat as long as it contains less than 0.5
   grams per serving.
3. If the margarine contains partially hydrogenated oils, it will contain trans fat even if the label claims 0
   grams.
4. If buying butter, choose grass-fed when possible.
5. Choose a brand that tastes good – this depends on the individual, but if a person doesn’t like it they are
   likely to use too much to compensate for bland or missing flavors.
6. Trans fats harden at room temperature, so the harder the margarine, the more trans fats it contains.

Adding butter to foods adds calories that you may not necessarily think about. Butter is important in a meal because it adds fat source. Our body needs fat to function and absorb nutrients; fat also provides a feeling of satiety in meals. If you eat a meal without any fat, you are likely to feel hungry again shortly after.
Cholesterol is found only in animal products, and coconut and palm oil. Most margarine contains little or no cholesterol, whereas butter contains a significant amount of cholesterol.

Nutritional values of Butter
One tablespoon of butter contains the following nutrition:

1. 100 calories
2. 12 grams of fat
3. 7 grams of saturated fat
4. 0.5 grams of trans fat 31 milligrams of cholesterol
5. 0 grams of carbonhydrates
6. 0 grams of sugar

In summary butter contain the following:

1. 82 percent milk fat;
2. Little lactose,
3. Water,
4. Carbohydrates,
5. Minerals,
6. Vitamins.

Butter is simply made of pasteurized cream. Sometimes, salt is added. In countries where cows are grass-fed, butter consumption is associated with a dramatic reduction in heart disease risk. Grass-fed dairy products are much higher in Vitamin K2 and omega-3, fatty acids, both of which are important for heart health.
Grass-fed butter also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which helps improve body composition and protect against cancer. Short and medium-chain triglycerides are also present which are helpful for the gut bacteria, immune function, and metabolism.
Regular or non-grass-fed butter contains significantly less, if any, of these nutrients.

Margarine
Margarine was developed as a substitute for butter and is made from plant-based oils, such as canola oil, palm fruit oil, and soybean oil. Margarine is received after processing of vegetable oil and hydrogen. It contains unsaturated fats. However, all the products presented in a marketplace differ. They may contain trans fats. Try to avoid these harmful ingredients because of the great risk of heart disease as well as the rise of blood cholesterol.

Types of margarine
There are other types of margarine but we are going to explain the most important types. Margarines contain a range of ingredients like Salt and other compounds that keep the flavour and texture of margarine acceptable to our health such as maltodextrin, soy lecithin, and mono or diglycerides are commonly added. Oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, and fish oil may also be used. Other margarine is meant to be used as a spread only and should not be used for baking or cooking. Below three types of margarine and their the nutritional value:

1. Stick margarine
   One tablespoon of stick margarine contains the following:
2. 80-100 calories
3. 9-11 grams of fat
4. 2 grams of saturated fat
5. 1.5-2.5 grams of trans fat
6. 0 grams of cholesterol
7. 0 grams of carbohydrates
8. 0 grams of sugar

Note:
This type of margarine may contain slightly fewer calories than butter, but it does often contain trans fat.

1. Light margarine
   Light margarine contains contains the following:
2. 40 calories
3. 5 grams of fat
4. 1-1.5 grams of saturated fat
5. 0 grams of trans fat
6. 0 grams of cholesterol
7. 0 grams of carbohydrates
8. 0 grams of sugar per tablespoon

Light margarine contains a higher percentage of water than traditional margarine, making it lower in calories and fat. Even though it contains less saturated and trans fat than regular margarine, it may still contain some partially hydrogenated oils.

1. Margarine with phytosterols
   Margarine with phytosterols contains the following:

2. 70-80 calories

3. 8 grams of fat

4. 2.5 grams of saturated fat

5. 0 grams of trans fat

6. 0 grams of cholesterol per tablespoon

7. 0 grams of carbohydrates

8. 0 grams of sugar

Phytosterols are plant-based compounds that are similar in structure to cholesterol. Because of this, they compete with cholesterol for absorption in the body, reducing cholesterol absorption and therefore reducing blood cholesterol. Margarines with phytosterols contain a blend of oils such as olive oil or flaxseed oil.
While a hydrogenated, trans-fat containing margarine is never recommended, the choice between butter and non-hydrogenated margarine is less clear. Your own health goals, medical conditions, and taste preferences can guide you. Having both on hand and alternating margarine with grass-fed butter might allow you to reap the benefits of both without contributing to excessive saturated fat intake.