Heart-Healthy Diet - Alternatives to Saturated Fat and Trans Fat in Butter and Margarine
If you're concerned about your cholesterol you've probably heard the arguments about butter versus margarine. Which is better for you? What if you don't want to use either one?
When margarine first entered the marketplace as a serious contender to butter, it based its campaign on lower prices, cost-effective ingredients, and studies that showed that margarine was healthier than butter because it contained less saturated fat. The controversy of butter versus margarine developed when later studies showed that although margarine contains less saturated fat, its high levels of trans fat are actually worse for the human body than the saturated fat in butter. This turn-around earned science (as well as margarine) a bad name.
The reason saturated fat and trans fat are bad for the human body is because they are high in cholesterol, which is the gunk that builds up in arteries and can lead to heart disease. Cholesterol comes from animals. It is a product the human body needs to survive, but it is needed in smaller doses than what people in modern times typically consume. Because the average person consumes more cholesterol than the body needs in either butter OR margarine, both are determined to be unhealthy.
In recent years, product companies have introduced margarine alternatives with cholesterol that is plant-based rather than animal based. These margarine spreads use plant sterols instead of traditional animal fat-derived cholesterol. Because they contain no saturated fat or trans fat, they have been shown in clinically tested trials to lower the body's cholesterol when eaten regularly. The FDA has approved plant sterol-based margarine spreads as part of a healthy diet for people who are at risk for heart disease or have high cholesterol.
Of course, with the discovery that the kind of cholesterol that comes from plants (plant sterols) is actually good for the human body, many people have discovered value in branching away from margarine and butter all together in favor of spreads and oils harvested from olives, nuts and seeds. Butter-substitutes made from olive oil, walnuts, hazelnuts, soy, and even hemp create a natural, nutrient-rich alternative to butter or margarine. Oils and spreads make excellent alternatives to peanut butter as well, and provide a gourmet substitute for toast, dinner rolls, and sandwiches.
Another way of maintaining heart health is to ingest plenty of body-cleansing fiber by eating natural whole grains, especially grains with beta glucan, such a BG Barley.
When shopping for spreads, it is always important to read the nutrition labels on the back of products in order to make smart, balanced decisions about a healthy diet. However, it is helpful to know something about the variety of products available before making a decision. The press releases on this website provide company-certified information for products straight from the companies that produce them.
|
