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With so much having been studied and in print regarding the butter versus margarine question, it is a wonder why the discussion even now rages. While examining what provides the most health benefits, making a rationale for why we ought to be using margarine at all if we really have dietary considerations is akin to making a case for hot dogs as a health food: regardless of how you slice it margarine is not going to be beneficial for our bodies. So to establish what provides the most health benefits, first we'll examine margarine, then butter. As for margarine, what is it that should eliminate it from being something we should eat? Although the inherent harm of margarine, unlike cigarette smoking, isn't obvious, you might become more skeptical if we were to examine the process by which it is produced. There exists nothing unprocessed about it, as the process starts with cheap oil, like cottonseed oil, and is sent through the hydrogenation process, where hydrogen molecules are forced into oil molecules under extreme heat and pressure, with the use of nickel as a toxic catalyst. It is subsequently bleached and deodorized, artificially flavored and colored with yellow dye. The whole procedure does not give off pleasant thoughts. Some advocates of margarine maintain that there's a lower trans-fat alternative with soft margarine, which once more using the cigarette analogy is like saying low tar cigarettes are good for you. What we all should endeavor to feed ourselves is unprocessed, not manufactured, products that our bodies through many generations of evolution are designed to ingest. Butter, when choosing what provides the most health benefits, in comparison to margarine has the identical amount of calories. It increases the absorption in our bodies of many other nutrients, and has nutritional benefits in itself, plus it tastes better than margarine and enhances the flavor of other foods. Where it has traditionally taken a rap is its slightly higher content of saturated fats. Butter being from animals will score lower on fat-loss scale than products derived from plants, but there is fresh data that this does not have to be an inevitable disqualifier. If consumed moderately, saturated fats actually might help in the body in the utilization of Omega 3. Furthermore, new research has suggested that the small amount of natural Tran's fats in butter may be beneficial for healthiness, and have anti-cancer properties. Lastly, if you utilize organic butter, which is, butter that includes no pesticides or antibiotics, it scores in no way poorly in its health benefits versus its risks. I think we could reasonably suppose that the debate over the health benefits of butter will continue as new information and research comes available. So while deciding what provides the most health benefits, butter or margarine, our judgment could not be clearer: avoid margarine at all costs. Butter, especially organic, is acceptable, as long as it's used moderately and if you are intent on using one or the other. However, in our examination of what provides the most health benefits, we have found that for cooking or the preparation of any foods where the option presents itself, we discover that olive oil is the way to go. It is a staple in the Mediterranean Diet and its healthiness benefits are getting more pronounced. But bear in mind that olive oil is high in calories, so utilize it in moderation, and as well bear in mind you can't make unhealthy foods healthy merely by adding olive oil to them. When you buy groceries it is a good idea to have at least some idea of what ingredients labels tell you, and from there knowing how many calories should be in your diet will help you lose weight. You certainly should be buying salmon, and you'll want to read about salmon for what may be some surprising information. Jim O'Connell is a writer and health enthusiast living in London.
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