Choose wisely for a healthy lifestyle - butter, margarine and your family
Friday, 7 March 2014 00:00
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Living healthily also means making wise food choices. It is important to think seriously about including healthier options in your daily diet. Making the switch from white and processed food such as bread and rice to brown or red rice and red rice or kurakkan based meals is not only healthy but also vital in our quest to maintain a healthy heart.
Although we have always thought of butter as healthy because of its dairy origin, we must understand that some foods have naturally occurring trans fats which are not considered healthy for the heart. We also know making a choice between butter and margarine can be confusing, especially when health-conscious individuals do not understand the subtle differences between the two and the health benefits one offers over the other.
Butter is classified, as a product made of milk fat while margarine is a product made mostly from plant oils. Although the term margarine is loosely coined, there is a category classified as fat spreads. Margarine and fat spreads differ based on the content of fat in the product. All products that have more than 80% of fat content are classified as margarines. Those with less than 80% of fat are classified as fat spreads.
The Journal of the American Medical Association in a study published in 2000, listed the results of the first ever head-to-competition between butter and margarine. In the research, that covered 46 biological families that took part, some with young children, showed that switching to soft margarine instead of butter brought healthier results. “An average 11% decrease in levels of ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol in adults, and 9% in children, which in turn reduced levels of total cholesterol levels. Even better was the finding that ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol levels were not affected by the study, disqualifying one of many perceived margarine health risks,” Margo Denke M.D., an Associate Professor of Medicine and nutrition researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre at Dallas reported the following. Making changes to the levels of fats consumed in the home can have a tremendous impact on the health levels of every family. It can play a significant role in maintaining heart health, both in the short term and the long term. Reduced cholesterol levels will lead to a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, both in the immediate present and throughout one’s lifetime. The JAMA study is not alone in dispelling the myths of margarine nutrition. This research is in line with several other recent studies, which have found that the margarine found so easily in your nearest supermarket or grocery store can make a real difference to your health, simply by making the switch with butter. In Sri Lanka, one in every four deaths recorded in the hospitals takes place as a result of heart disease. Medical experts advise replacing the fat intake in our diets with healthy choices; eating healthily today is relevant more than ever.
Choosing to consume a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, with a moderate salt and sugar intake, switching processed foods with red and brown rice or flour based foods and replacing butter with soft margarine are choices we can make as a step towards living healthily.
