Margarine, once praised for containing less saturated fat than butter, now is criticized because it contains trans fat, a more dangerous substance. You could eat 2 tbsp. of butter a day without exceeding the American Heart Association's stringent guidelines for saturated fat consumption. But 2 tsp. of margarine contains as much trans fat as you should include in your daily diet.
Triglycerides and Diet
Triglycerides in your diet affect triglycerides in your bloodstream. If you eat food that contains saturated fat or trans fat, you directly increase the number of triglycerides in your body. If you consistently overeat fatty foods, your triglycerides can reach unhealthy levels and put you at risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes. Your body also converts excess calories to triglycerides. Sugar and alcohol can elevate your triglyceride levels. To lower triglycerides, follow a low-fat, low-sugar diet and exercise regularly.
Margarine and Heart Health
Margarine contains 1 g of trans fat per 1 tsp, or 3 g of trans fat per 1 tbsp. You should eat no more than 2 g of trans fat per day -- and you don't need any. Margarine starts out as healthy vegetable oil. But the process of turning liquid oil into a solid creates trans fat, an unhealthy man-made fat. The trans fat in margarine proves a double-threat to your heart health -- it elevates your triglycerides and lowers your high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Your HDL cholesterol, also known as "good" cholesterol, improves heart health by pulling triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein -- LDL, or "bad" cholesterol -- out of your arteries.
How To Reduce Margarine Consumption
To reduce or eliminate margarine in your diet, cook with olive oil or other unsaturated fats instead. Read food labels before buying commercial baked goods and snacks. Store-bought cookies, cakes and chips may contain margarine or shortening, another type of trans fat. If a food label says a product contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, it may contain margarine. Food nutrition labels reveal the amount of trans fat in items. You may also find margarine or other trans fat hidden in frozen waffles, fries and creamy sauces.
Considerations
Although butter proves more heart-healthy than margarine, use butter in moderation. If you bake at home, replace margarine and shortening in recipes with vegetable oil. In some recipes -- muffins, for instance -- you can omit fat entirely by using applesauce instead of margarine or oil. Brush baked potatoes with olive oil. Some types of margarine contain plant sterols, a substance that may lower LDL cholesterol. Plant sterols do not, however, lower triglycerides.
References
- Brigham and Women's Hospital; Understanding Trans Fat; April 7 2011
- American Heart Association; Diet, Lifestyle Changes Can Significantly Reduce Triglyceride; April 18 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; Feb. 22 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Cholesterol: Top Five Foods to Lower Your Numbers; May 7 2010
