Butter is Better!

As a good rule of thumb, it is best to choose whole, natural, minimally (if at all) processed foods. Man-made, and ultra-processed foods should be avoided as much as possible. As you'll see below in the debate between butter and margarine, butter is an overall healthier choice. Even better is organic butter, from grass-fed cows.

Butter is a natural discovery that has been around for centuries; where margarine has only been around for less than 100 years. In the production of butter, milk is allowed to sit until the cream rises to the top. The cream is then skimmed off, poured into a churn, and worked into butter. Although this process is now highly automated, it is still whole food based. Eating butter increases the absorption of many nutrients from other foods. Because it tastes much better than margarine, it can enhance the flavors of other foods. Butter contains arachidonic acid, which is a vital component of cell membranes and contributes to proper brain function. Butter is a good source of vitamin A, and also contains trace minerals like manganese, chromium, iodine, zinc, and selenium. Conjugated linoleic acid is present in butter, and has proven properties that attribute to cancer prevention, as well as being important for muscle mass, and fat burning. Butter from organic, grass fed cows has much higher levels of omega 3's and CLA than butter made from conventional grain fed cows.

Margarine is a man-made product manufactured to replace butter. It was originally developed as a less expensive alternative. Margarine can be made from several different oils, such as sunflower, corn, cottonseed, or soybean oil. It is then mixed with a liquid addition such as milk, water, and/or soy-based protein. Nutritionally, margarine doesn't have much to offer. Although it contains high levels of Omega 6, it has minimal Omega 3’s, no conjugated linoleic acid, and no arachidonic acid. All margarine products contain trans fats, which are difficult for the body to process and provide no nutritional value. Due to excessive processing, unnecessary additions such as emulsifiers, stabilizers, colorings, and flavorings are present.

Mother Nature knows best...choose butter!