The types of fat you eat can have a significant effect on the health of your cardiovascular system. One way in which people have tried to improve their heart health is to use margarine instead of butter. Not all kinds of margarine can be thought of as heart healthy, so it is important to know what makes some varieties of margarine better for your heart than others.
Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
One of the reasons why margarine has traditionally been thought of as heart healthy is that it usually contains less cholesterol and saturated fat than butter. Dietary cholesterol can increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood, resulting in a condition known as atherosclerosis, in which cholesterol accumulates in the walls of the arteries, causing the arteries to become narrow and stiff. Saturated fat can also increase the amount of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in your blood, which can speed up the development of atherosclerosis. A 1 tbsp. serving of butter contains 7g of saturated fat and 33mg of cholesterol, which is why people often use margarine as a heart-healthy substitute.
Margarine and Trans Fats
Some of the controversy over whether or not margarine is heart healthy is because some margarines contain trans fats. Trans fats, which are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oils, are more solid and less likely to spoil than pure vegetable oils. Trans fats also raise LDL cholesterol -- the so-called "bad" cholesterol -- while also lowering high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, which is commonly referred to as "good" cholesterol. Consequently, while margarine may be lower in cholesterol and saturated fat, it can still be bad for your heart if it contains trans fats.
Choosing Healthy Margarines
Due to the problems associated with trans fats, many margarine manufacturers have greatly reduced the amount of trans fats in their margarines. As a general rule, softer margarines, which come in tubs, have less trans fat than stick margarine. The dietitians at Charlotte Regional Medical Center reviewed several different brands of margarine and designated brands which had less than 0.5g of trans fat and less than 2g of saturated fat as being heart healthy. These include Olivio, Parkay, Promise, Country Crock Lite and Smart Balance Light.
Plant Sterols and Stanols
Some manufacturers have added compounds, known as plant sterols and stanols, to give their margarines additional benefits for the cardiovascular system. These plant-derived chemicals help block the absorption of cholesterol from food, which means that margarines fortified with plant sterols and stanols may help lower your cholesterol levels. The recommended daily dose of these chemicals is 2g, which can help lower your LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent, MayoClinic.com reports.
