If you’ve ever thought of switching out your stock of butter for a “healthier” alternative, margarine, it is time to reassess your beliefs.

While margarine was, at first, thought to be better than butter, this early assumption cannot be more wrong. Many thought that by replacing butter’s high levels of saturated fats with margarine’s high levels of trans fats, their risk of heart disease would decrease. Unfortunately, there was never any good evidence to suggest that consuming margarine instead of butter would lower the risk of a heart attack or of developing heart disease.

Margarine is actually worse

Margarine goes through a complicated process. To make margarine, it goes through hydrogenation. This process turns polyunsaturated fats, which are normally liquid at room temperature, into fats that are solid at room temperature. To make them, the cheapest oils are used, such as soy, cottonseed, corn or canola. There’s also no telling whether or not these oils are genetically modified. From their already rancid state due to the accepted extraction process, they are mixed with tiny metal particles, usually nickel oxide. The oil and the nickel oxide, which acts as a catalyst, are then subjected to hydrogen gas in a high pressure and high-temperature reactor.

From there, soap-like emulsifiers and starch are squeezed into the mixture to give it a nicer consistency, and the oil is then introduced to more high temperatures when it is steam-cleaned, to remove its unappetizing smell. From there, the margarine’s natural grey color is removed by bleach and dyes and strong flavors to make it resemble butter.

This is why margarine is very detrimental to your health. Furthermore, consuming margarine triples your risk of coronary heart disease, increases your risk of cancer and it weakens your immune response.

Butter is actually healthier

Butter, provided it is organic and comes from grass fed cows, is on the complete other side of the spectrum in regards to health, and it has so many nutrients and benefits to offer, such as:

• Fat soluble vitamins – Margarine contains vitamins A, D, K and E along with certain co-factors that maximize absorption.
• The Wulzen factor – Also known as the “anti-stiffness” factor, this compound is present in raw animal fat. It was discovered by researcher Rosalind Wulzen, who found out that this substance protects the joints of both humans and animals alike from calcification.
• Activator X (Vitamin K2) – A powerful catalyst which helps the body absorb and utilize essential minerals. Butter can be an especially rich source of K2 if it comes from grass-fed cows.
• Short and Medium Chain Fatty Acids – About 12 to 15 percent of butter is made up of short and medium-chain fatty acids which have antimicrobial, anti-tumor and immune system-supporting qualities.
• Omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids – Omega-3 and -6 occur in small, but substantially healthier amounts.
• Cholesterol – High in mother’s milk, it is essential for growth and development. It is also needed to produce various steroids that protect against cancer, heart disease and mental illness.
• Trace Minerals – Butter contains minerals such as manganese, zinc, iodine, chromium and selenium.

Now you can understand why you must definitely consider butter as a staple in your diet and remove artificial imitators like margarine completely from your home. Next time you consider spreading some margarine onto your toast, take a moment to think about what this can do to your health.

Sources:

Health.Harvard.edu

BlueSosa.com

WestonAPrice.org

RobertBarrington.net

BodyEcology.com