The FAT Facts: Butter vs Margarine
Butter and
margarine are used to enhance the flavor of our foods. But what's the difference between the two?
Butter is made up of cream and water and it contains milk. It has been around for thousands of years and and is created by churning cream until it becomes hard.
Margarine, on the contrary, is a newer man made invention using mostly plant oils, rather than animal fats. It is an engineered food.
So where did margarine come from?
French emperor Louis Napoleon III wanted a cheaper alternative to butter for the people. As a result, French scientist Hippolyte
Mège-Mouriès in 1869 created what we know as margarine today. This margarine, in particular, originated from
beef fat and plant oil based margarine was actually developed later.
Although margarine seems to be basically the same thing as butter in appearance and even taste, the two have very different ingredients.
Hydrogenation turns liquid plant oils into more solid spreads at room
temperature.
What is fat and why does the body need it?
Fats (lipids) are a fundamental building block of biology which yields twice as much energy as carbohydrates. It is very important that we derive unsaturated fats (omega 3 & 6) from the foods we consume. Fats maintain proper brain functioning, and help to store and transfer important vitamins. They also provide fuel and energy amongst many other important functions.What is the difference between natural and processed fats
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Sources include most
animals and some plants amongst others. Oleic
acid is one of the most common fats in our diet. Sources include almonds, pecans, macademias, peanuts and avocado oils amongst others..
Processed fats are subject to processing. Poly-unsaturated
vegetable oil which comes from corn, sunflower, rapeseed, safflower, grape seed and other sources
stays liquid when refrigerated, and is unstable at room temperature. Vegetable oils produce trans-fatty
acids when heated while cooking. Examples of sources of trans fats which are known to be unhealthy, include margarine, french fries, donuts,
potato chips, snack foods, hunk foods, and mayo amongst others.
The process
of creating oil involves pesticides and solvents which could actually remain in the
final product. Furthermore, many vegetable oils are derived from genetically modified plants. Most common are corn and
rapeseed.
Trans-fats
Trans-fats very rarely occur in nature and are mostly man made and are best avoided. They lead to more densely
packed cell membranes, rendering them rigid and inflexible, thereby
changing their properties. Negative side effects of too much trans fat consumption include heart disease, diabetes, alzheimers, cancer, liver problems, depression and infertility amongst other serious conditions. This is why it is best to avoid margarine.
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Additional Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margarine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat#Presence_in_food
