Margarine vs Butter

[Phedder]

Here's a new article from a good friend and very bright young trainer, thought it'd be a good read for many and possibly worth some discussion.

Margarine. Butter. Margarine. Butter. The endless debate of taste vs cost vs spread-ability, but what about for health? Butter always got a bad rep for being high in fat and sodium, with a higher caloric value. But where does it really stand in comparison to margarine and it’s touted ‘heart healthy’ benefits? Is a substitute manufactured to taste just like butter really the first step to improving our health? Read on below to find out all you ever needed to know to settle this debate for good.

As some of you are probably aware, products like margarine are made via the processing of polyunsaturated oils, known as hydrogenation. I’ll spare you the chemistry lecture, but basically this is the process by which liquid oils are converted into solid, or semi-solid fats. The majority of the time, these oils are only partially hydrogenated. The hydrogenation process changes the saturation of the oil which then directly impacts the oil’s temperature threshold and reaction time. Some of you may prefer this semi-solid state, as it comes in handy when used for things like spreading over bread, for which butter is initially too hard, or in baking, where the texture of the fat-flour combination is more appealing. Another bonus here is the affordability of hydrogenated oils (margarine) over natural alternatives (butter). The price of dairy is increasing exponentially, but the price of margarine and other hydrogenated fats is more consistent, due to it’s cheap production costs. Add in the fact that hydrogenated oils have a longer shelf life, and you’ve got a clear winner[1].

Surely that must be the take away from this article then? Continue reading...

http://lisaverheul.com/science-vs-nature-part-two/

[farrout]

Butter without question.

Margarine was one of the biggest cons of last century & has been responsible for more heart disease, heart attacks & related deaths than butter, red meat & whole milk put together.

Comprising of short & medium chain triglycerides, the fat is more prone to being used for energy as opposed to being stored as bodyfat.

[jimmybro1]

I can't remember the last time I have had either :shock:

[Leeroid]

The only spread Ill ever use is good ol natty peanut butter

[legacy]

We have Olivano spread,whether its better than normal margarine I don't know. I love my butter though, might have to grab some this week. :nod:

[Agent]

We have Olivano spread,whether its better than normal margarine I don't know. I love my butter though, might have to grab some this week. :nod:

You'll be fine with Olivani, like a lot of modern margarines (technically most aren't allowed to be called 'margarines' since their fat content is too low these days, hence being generically named 'spreads') there is little to no trans-fat. The info in the OP would have been more relevant in the past, but not so much these days, although perhaps it's still a concern in other countries. When in doubt just check the nutritional info.

As far as people being concerned about particular foods negatively impacting their cholesterol, triglycerides etc; it's pretty easy to get a lipid panel done, and from there people can make adjustments to their diet/body composition etc to bring it into a more favourable range. People don't have to wait until they have health problems to find out if particular lifestyle choices are creating issues.

[Diab0lic]

Since you're most likely to be eating these foods in small amounts, just go for butter every time. It has less additives and ingredients overall and just tastes soooooo much better. The SFA/UFA ratios in it are inconsequential in these small amounts.

[DIANABOL]

Excerpt from an article written by John Meadows on the Mountain Dog Diet:

#2 Correct balance of fats with a special emphasis on Saturated Fats

Most diets in the bodybuilding world, even those that are termed “high-fat”, do not advise the use of saturated fats outside of what normally occurs in the peanut butter, nuts, avocadoes, etc that are typically recommended. I think this is a mistake. Saturated fats play an enormous role our in our health and well being. Here are just a few of many reasons to NOT avoid saturated fat:

• Saturated fats make up 50% of our cell membranes! They give cells the

correct amount of rigidity to allow “messages” in and out.

• Saturates allow the body to use and retain Omega 3’s better!

• They make our immune systems better (see butter and coconut oil!)

• A few specific types of saturates are the best food for the heart. The fat

around the heart is highly saturated.

So what are the best sources for saturated fats in the Mountain Dog Diet?

1) Animal fats – Grass fed ground beef contains not only the correct ration of Omega 3 to Omega 6 ( 1 to 1 or close to it), and CLA, it has the saturated fat you need. Grass fed beef tends to have about ½ the saturated fat that grain-fed beef has. Leaner cuts like sirloin are ok, but remember, the magic is in the fat. That doesn’t mean you should eat all Ribeyes, just not to fear the fat, and there will be less of it in grass fed. It helps with fat soluble vitamin uptake (which we will get into later in this article). There is a fantastic book called Nutrition and Physical Degeneration written by Dr Weston A Price that talks in detail about the dietary habits of many non industrialized tribes/populations. If you read this book, you clearly see what Dr Price’s research showed in terms on health and well-being, and the importance of animal fats. There was also a gentleman named Dr. George Mann who studied a tribe in Africa called the Masai. The tribe had no heart disease of any kind. Their diets consisted of meat, blood, whole milk, and up to 1.5 pounds of butter a day. He is known for a quote that I think is great. He said “the Lipid Hypothesis is the greatest scam in the history of medicine.”

2) Virgin Coconut Oil – Coconut oil does a number of very good things for someone attempting to get lean. 95% of the fat in coconut oil is saturated, of which about half is Lauric Acid. The fat is a special type of fat (Medium chain triglyceride) that is easily converted to energy by your liver. There are numerous studies out there that corroborate this. Dr Serrano has been using Coconut Oil for endurance athletes too, mixed with slower burning carbs for immediate and sustained energy. I have also seen some claims that I am still researching in terms of your body’s increased ability to burn long chain fats, when these MCT’s are taken in. Most of these studies are taking place at McGill University in Canada. If this were true, it would be another reason to add this fat into your diet when bodyfat loss is a primary goal. There is another side of coconut oil too that shouldn’t be forgotten and it relates to general health. It is loaded (more than any other food source) with Lauric acid. This is a fat that is extremely anti-viral and antimicrobial. Lauric acid converts to its active form Monolaurin (much like T-4 converting to active T-3 in your body for those of you who have studied thyroid function). Monolaurin is currently being given to HIV patients is showing much promise. You can see some of the research at Lauric.org (Center for Research on Lauric Oils, Inc.) Home Page. It is also found heavily in breast milk, which is a reason why babies who are breast feed seem to have stronger immune systems. The best thing about Lauric acid in food – it’s in a big dose, in my favorite snack food – Jennie’s Macaroons! I love these tasty treats. You can order these on Amazon.com. They come in packs of 6.

3) Grass Fed Butter – The most frustrating thing to me about having conversations regarding butter is the notion that the fat in butter causes heart disease. The reality is that butter IS HEART HEALTHY! It contains a perfect ratio of Omega 3 to 6. The saturated fats are generally short and medium chain for quick and easy digestion and for protection against infection. Lecithin is also a natural component of butter that assists in the proper assimilation and metabolization of cholesterol and other fats. Butter also has this thing called “Wulzen Factor” in it. Researcher Rosalind Wulzen discovered that this substance protects humans and animals from calcification of the joints-degenerative arthritis. I could go on and on about butter, just know that a little everyday is good for you.

What about polyunsaturated fats (Omega 3,6, Alpha Linolenic Acid)? If you are thinking these are essential, and you have to get them from your diet, you are correct. The amount needed I think gets overblown sometimes though. You will get plenty from your diet in the form of Salmon, and also some extra in your beef and dairy due to those sources being grass fed. Mary Enig recommends that your diet contain 1.5% of it’s calories in the form of polyunsaturates. Her recommendations are in line with other top lipid experts in the world. This is the same recommendation I use.

If you are taking flax, chia, or other grain type forms of Alpha Linolenic Acid – remember this, your body can only convert a very small amount of it to its usable form in the body of DHA. The DHA/EPA Omega 3 institute estimates that only 12% of ALA converts to DHA and presents studies backing up their data in its website DHA/EPA Omega-3 Institute. I do not recommend these grain type Polys due to that fact. You are better off getting it naturally in the foods described above. Under no circumstance would I recommend consuming polys high in Omega 6’s such as corn oil, cottonseed oil, regular safflower oil, etc. due to their inflammatory affect within your body.

How about monosaturated fats? Are they healthy? Yes they are. Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Macadamia Nut Oil are two great oils to cook with to give you this fat. The polyphenols in them provide a strong anti-oxidant for the body as well. I love using Olive Oil for 2 things mainly – it helps to raise HDL levels, and it is great to assist in quality weight gain for those trying to put on weight. It is a great choice as a salad dressing mixed with a little Balsamic Vinegar. Another great choice is Macadamia Nut Oil. It is very stable for cooking (up to around 425 degrees Fahrenheit), and you get a massive dose of healthy monsaturates. Around 85% of the oil is monosaturated. You get to a point where you don’t want to keep increasing athletes levels of protein due to general digestive stress, and you don’t want to raise carbs to astronomical levels just due to the pancreatic stress involved….so the remedy, add some good ole Olive Oil or Macadamia nut oil. I tried using coconut oil for this purpose, but as I suspected, it burns so fast and easy, it didn’t really help with quality weight gain in the athletes. I would still use it year round for its antimicrobial and anti-viral properties though, but I steer more toward the monsaturates in the off-season. It is important to realize that you need to mix things up a bit, and not have the exact same oil all the time.

As far as food sources go, butter actually has a good dose of Palmitoleic acid in it, which is very antimicrobial and is a healthy monosaturate. The fat in butter has more monosaturated fat then you would think, about 30% actually. I include grass fed butter in my diets for this, and many many other reasons. There are also many nuts that contain healthy monosaturated fat such as cashews, macadamia nuts, etc. Over the past few years I have gotten away from adding nuts to diets, not because of any concerns related to health, but because people can’t practice portion control with them. It is impossible for most to sit down and only eat ¼ cup (1 serving) of cashews. I am likely to eat an entire pound in a day if I buy a bag.

All in all – you need some of all these fats to function optimally, whether your body can make them or not, and I recommend 30-35% of your calories come from fat. Around 25% of that should be from saturated, 1.5-3% from polys/Omega 3 and 6, and the remaining 7-8.5% from monos during contest season. As you get into more of an off-season mode, the ratio favors monsaturates a little more heavily but does not eliminate Saturates or polys, as that would not be wise.