Is Margarine Good For You?

Pros and Cons of Stick Margarine

On the one hand, a stick of margarine has no cholesterol, according to Providence. But on the other hand, the source says a stick of margarine has trans fats. When margarine is turned into a solid stick through hydrogenation, trans fat is created.

The source says, “Trans fat raises LDL (bad) cholesterol significantly – much more than saturated fat does.” However, not all types of margarine are created equal. In fact, softer margarine has less trans fat. But does that mean it’s healthy? We’ll dig into that next.

Pros and Cons of Tub Margarine

Providence says, “The harder the margarine, the more trans fat it contains.” So, it can make a difference to buy a tub of softer margarine instead of a harder stick of margarine. Plus, a tub of margarine not only has less trans fat than a stick of margarine but also fewer calories.

And like harder margarine, softer margarine also has no cholesterol. All in all, margarine in a tub has more pros than margarine in stick form. That said, the source recommends reading the label carefully. If the tub lists “partially hydrogenated oil,” then it has trans fat.

Margarine vs. Butter

So, how does margarine stack up against butter? According to the Mayo Clinic, “Margarine usually tops butter when it comes to heart health.” Since margarine is made from vegetable oils while butter is made from animal fat, the source says margarine contains less saturated fat.

As a result, it can help to use margarine instead of butter and softer margarine instead of harder stick margarine. The butter vs. margarine debate isn’t that simple, though. Indeed, Providence says that “the healthiest choice is to skip both of them” because both contain unhealthy fats.