Butter Vs. No Trans Fat Margarine

Heart disease is responsible for 26 percent of deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Making lifestyle changes that include following a healthy diet can improve your heart health and reduce your risk of developing this deadly disease. The type of spread you put on your toast or vegetables, butter versus no trans fat margarine, can make a difference.

Butter

Butter is an animal-based fat spread made from cow's milk. It is high in both saturated fat and cholesterol. A 1 tablespoon serving of butter contains 102 calories, 0.1 grams of protein, 12 grams of total fat, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 7.3 grams of saturated fat, 0.3 grams of trans fat and 31 milligrams of cholesterol. High intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol raise blood cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease. For heart health, limit your intake of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of calories -- or no more than 20 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet -- and limit cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams a day.

Trans Fat

Trans fat is naturally found in some foods, but is also formed during the processing of other foods, as in the case of turning vegetable oil into margarine. Trans fat is more detrimental to your health than saturated fat. High intakes of trans fat increase blood cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. Keep your intake of trans fat as low as possible to minimize your risk. The American Heart Association provides more specific guidelines, recommending that you limit your intake of trans fat to less than 1 percent of calories. On a 2,000-calorie diet that means no more than 2 grams of trans fat a day.

No Trans Fat Margarine

Margarine used to be a major source of trans fat in the diet. But due to health concerns about trans fats, manufacturers have reformulated margarines to significantly reduce their trans fat content by switching their first ingredient from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil to liquid vegetable oil or water. Margarine labeled as trans fat free can have up to 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. A 1 tablespoon serving of no trans fat margarine contains 60 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, up to 0.5 grams of trans fat and 0 milligrams of cholesterol.

Butter vs. No Trans Fat Margarine

When it comes to butter versus no trans fat margarine, the margarine makes the better choice, according to both the Cleveland Clinic and the dietitian website HealthCastle.com. Choose a no trans fat margarine with less than 2 grams of saturated fat per serving.