Heart attack risk: do butter and margarine make the difference?
Created: 2022-12-15, 7:47 p.m
By: Kilian Bäuml
For many, bread simply cannot be missing: butter.
But it has a bad reputation and is even said to promote heart attacks.
Is that correct?
Frankfurt – For many it is a must on the breakfast table, in bakeries almost every sandwich is spread with it: butter is a real favorite product of Germans.
It is also in buttered vegetables, buttered potatoes or buttered pretzels, butter is a popular flavor carrier and is often used to enhance the taste of food.
But it is also very high in fat and calories.
One of the reasons for this is that butter contains a high amount of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol.
Nevertheless, every person in Germany consumes around six kilograms of butter a year, reports the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE).
However, six kilograms is still a lot of butter.
But is it really as bad as its reputation suggests?
For example, butter consumption is said to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
But does not eating butter really keep your heart younger?
Heart attack risk increased?
Butter is really that unhealthy for the heart and blood vessels
About two-thirds of butter consists of saturated fatty acids, a large amount of which can increase the cholesterol concentration in the blood after consumption.
The fatty acids are divided into short, medium and long-chain fatty acids, as the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) also provides information.
The long-chain saturated fatty acids have a clearly negative effect on the cholesterol levels in the blood.
If these are increased, the risk of metabolic, cardiovascular or vascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis increases.
Therefore, one should try to lower high cholesterol levels, which is already possible with a healthy diet and a lot of exercise.
However, there are hardly any long-chain saturated fatty acids in butter, but rather short and medium-length fatty acids, according to Stiftung Warentest.
The fat spread also contains fat-soluble vitamins that the body needs.
For example, vitamin A, which among other things helps to keep bones and teeth healthy, as reported by the knowledge magazine
Geo
.
Food | butter |
Calories per 100 grams | around 717 calories |
Fat per 100 grams | around 81 grams |
Hereof: saturated fatty acids | around 51 grams |
(Source: USDA) |
Although no diseases can be traced back to the consumption of too many saturated fatty acids, the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends keeping their proportion in the diet as low as possible.
The risk of heart disease through certain diets and disorders of the fat metabolism can be reduced.
Heart Health: Is Margarine Healthier Than Butter?
Even if margarine has a better reputation for many people, it is not significantly healthier.
Both products are very high in fat and calories.
A study by Harvard Medical School even found that the trans fats in margarine have a negative impact on heart health.
Based on this finding, it can be said that margarine is generally no healthier than butter.
To mitigate potential risks, it's better to ask yourself how much spreadable fat you want to use and where you can go without it.
For many, butter belongs on bread.
(symbol image) © Imago
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For example, various vegetable oils, such as rapeseed oil or olive oil, can be used instead of butter in cooking.
These are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and thus support a healthy cholesterol level in the blood.
A tip for butter lovers: mixed forms of butter and rapeseed oil often contain less fat than butter and can also score points with a better distribution of fatty acids.
This can be an alternative for people who do not want to do without butter.
(kiba)
Editor's note
The information given in this article does not replace a visit to a doctor. Only experts can make the right diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy. The intake of medication or dietary supplements should be discussed with a doctor beforehand.
