5 fables about (cream) butter

1. A lick of butter on a fresh bun: many people swear by it. Tasty, and many think it is healthier than margarine and low-fat margarine. These spreads are said to be too artificial, contain no vitamin D and even contain plastic. What is true of that? Five fables about (cream) butter explained.

1) Fat in butter is healthier than in low-fat margarine or margarine

1. That is not correct. Butter contains more saturated fat than low-fat margarine and margarine. Saturated fat can have adverse effects on your health. It increases LDL cholesterol, which is not good for the blood vessels. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. The majority of international, specialized scientists agree with each other.

2. That is not correct. Butter contains more saturated fat than low-fat margarine and margarine. Saturated fat can have adverse effects on your health. It increases LDL cholesterol, which is not good for the blood vessels. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. The majority of international, specialized scientists agree on this.

2) Low-fat margarine / margarine is unhealthy because of the trans fats it contains

1. Low-fat margarine and margarine contain hardly any trans fats. In the past, hard margarines and baking and frying fats could contain a lot of trans fat. However, due to improved techniques and the use of other raw materials, this hardly occurs anymore. It is better to eat as little as possible from trans fat. It increases LDL cholesterol levels about as much as saturated fat, but increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. By choosing liquid or soft fat - and not eating too many cookies, pastries and snacks - you limit the intake of trans fat.

2. Low-fat margarine and margarine contain hardly any trans fats. In the past, hard margarines and baking and frying fats could contain a lot of trans fat. However, due to improved techniques and the use of other raw materials, this hardly occurs anymore. It is better to eat as little as possible from trans fat. It increases LDL cholesterol levels about as much as saturated fat, but increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. By choosing liquid or soft fat - and not eating too many biscuits, cakes and snacks - you limit the intake of trans fat.

3) Covering your sandwich with low-fat margarine / margarine hardly contributes to your vitamin D intake

1. That is not correct. Low-fat margarine and / or margarine make a good contribution to your daily vitamin D intake. Extra vitamin D has been added to most low-fat margarine and margarine. That is why these fats contain more vitamin D than butter. For example, if you spread six sandwiches with low-fat margarine every day, you get almost a quarter of the required vitamin D. An adult needs an average of 10 micrograms of vitamin D. Vitamin D can also be obtained from fatty fish, in particular, and to a lesser extent from eggs and meat. Sunlight also makes an important contribution to your daily portion of vitamin D. Not everyone gets enough vitamin D from food and sunlight. Some groups of people therefore need to take extra vitamin D in the form of a supplement. This applies to all children up to and including the age of 3, women, men and children over the age of 4 with a tinted or dark skin, women and men who do not spend much time in the sun or cover their skin, women between 50 and 70 men and women over 70 and pregnant women.

2. That is not correct. Low-fat margarine and / or margarine make a good contribution to your daily vitamin D intake. Extra vitamin D has been added to most low-fat margarine and margarine. That is why these fats contain more vitamin D than butter. For example, if you spread six sandwiches with low-fat margarine every day, you will get almost a quarter of the required vitamin D. An adult needs an average of 10 micrograms of vitamin D. Vitamin D can also be obtained from fatty fish, in particular, and to a lesser extent from eggs and meat. Sunlight also makes an important contribution to your daily portion of vitamin D. Not everyone gets enough vitamin D from food and sunlight. Some groups of people therefore need to take extra vitamin D in the form of a supplement. This applies to all children up to and including the age of 3, women, men and children over the age of 4 with a tinted or dark skin, women and men who do not spend much time in the sun or cover their skin, women between 50 and 70 men and women over 70 and pregnant women.

4) The margarine contains plastic

1. That is not correct. No plastic is added to low-fat margarine. It is also not the case that low-fat margarine resembles plastic. How this fable came about is not entirely clear. It can have several reasons. In the past, low-fat margarine and margarine were also called 'artificial butter' or 'fake butter'. The link with 'plastic' is then quickly established. Another reason for the confusion may be that low-fat margarine, like plastic, is made from refined (purified) oils. Incidentally, a completely different type of oil is used. Plastic is made from petroleum; low-fat margarine made from vegetable oil such as soy, sunflower or rapeseed oil. Furthermore, people sometimes say that low-fat margarine differs by only one atom from plastic. That is true in itself, but that does not say much. In chemistry, many substances differ by only one atom from each other. For example water and hydrogen peroxide, which are two very different substances.

2. That is not correct. No plastic is added to low-fat margarine. Nor is it the case that low-fat margarine resembles plastic. How this fable came about is not entirely clear. It can have several reasons. In the past, low-fat margarine and margarine were also called 'artificial butter' or 'fake butter'. The link with 'plastic' is then quickly established. Another reason for the confusion may be that low-fat margarine, like plastic, is made from refined (purified) oils. Incidentally, a completely different type of oil is used. Plastic is made from petroleum; low-fat margarine made from vegetable oil such as soy, sunflower or rapeseed oil. Furthermore, people sometimes say that low-fat margarine differs by only one atom from plastic. That is true in itself, but that does not say much. In chemistry many substances differ only one atom from each other. For example water and hydrogen peroxide, which are two very different substances.

5) A natural product is healthier than something artificial that is composed of up to six ingredients

1. It is true that you eat healthier if you mainly opt for unprocessed products. You will then take more fruit and vegetables and leave snacks, sauces, processed meat and ready-made meals more often. Cream butter - made from skimmed milk fat and a little water - is processed less and contains fewer ingredients than low-fat margarine and margarine. But that does not automatically mean that this is also a healthier choice. The number of ingredients does not determine whether something is healthy or not. Butter contains much more saturated fat than low-fat margarine and margarine. And that is not good for your health. Low-fat margarine and margarine contain less saturated fat, because they are made from vegetable oils and water. Vitamins such as A, D and E have also been added as well as additives to ensure that the ingredients bind. Halvarine and margarine are therefore more processed, but you get less saturated fat and more vitamin D.

What's in it? One spread of bread (with 6 grams of spread) contains: Liniment                   Kcal Total fat Saturated fat Trans fat Unsaturated fat Vitamin D (micrograms) Butter 44 4.9 3.2 0.1 1.4 0 Margarine 43 4.8 1.1 0 3.5 0.4 Halvarine 22 2.4 0.6 0 1.7 0.4 A (Source: NEVO online) Also read Slim toppings on your sandwich Cream: from fat to slim Healthy toppings for every day Unsaturated and saturated fats Trans Fat, How Unhealthy Is It? Don't miss anything anymore?

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