There has been an ongoing controversy over the effects of butter versus margarine on health. When faced with a diagnosis of high cholesterol, diet is one of the first lifestyle changes recommended. This can be a difficult task, and one of the questions often raised is: Which has more cholesterol, butter or margarine? A reasonable question with a relatively easy answer.
Significance
Cholesterol is found in meats and animal products, and as a dairy product, butter will definitely have some. Dietary cholesterol does not have the same effect on everyone's blood cholesterol level.
According to the Cleveland Clinic Miller Family Heart and Vascular Institute, some people can eat foods with relatively high cholesterol content with little or no effect, while others will have a marked increase in cholesterol levels from ingesting only a small amount of dietary cholesterol.
Butter and Cholesterol
Even if you are one of the lucky ones who suffers no obvious ill-effects from eating cholesterol-rich foods like butter, you might want to be aware of the numbers. The daily recommended intake of dietary cholesterol for people in good health is capped at 200 mg. At 33 mg of cholesterol per tablespoon, butter should certainly be on the list of things to use in moderation.
Margarine and Cholesterol
The good news for margarine fans is that margarine has no cholesterol. It is made from vegetable oils, and plant products do not have cholesterol in them. Does this mean that you should give up butter and eat all the margarine you want? Of course not. Margarine might not have any cholesterol, but that does not that mean it won't affect your blood cholesterol level.
Margarine and Trans Fats
What margarine does contain, which has sparked a lot of debate, is trans fats. Dr. Martha Grogan of the Mayo Clinic tells us to be wise in our choice of margarines, because they are not all created equal. Some, she says, can be even worse than butter. Stick margarines have more trans fats than their tub counterparts, since tub margarines tend to be softer. The standard rule is that the harder the margarine, the more trans fats it contains.
Choose Wisely
Giving up butter may prove to be beyond the limits of some people's self control, and if you are in that category, then it is recommended that you look for ones with lower fat contents. These include whipped butters and light butters. Another option is a product that is a blend of butter and olive or canola oil. Whatever your choice, butter or margarine, use it with moderation.
