Butter

Good day,

A very simple question – when choosing between butter and margarine for bread, which option and why is better for the body?

Thank you.

Here it depends on the perspective from which you want to evaluate both foods. If it is from the standpoint of the quality of the ingredients used, butter will clearly win because margarine is a strongly processed food from a technological perspective. If you evaluate it purely from a nutritional standpoint, most margarines will be the winners because manufacturers fortify them with not only omega-3 and often omega-9 fats, but also with some vitamins and antioxidants (D, E, beta-carotene...) - the difference in terms of tables is then more than transparent. Due to the effort to maintain the highest possible quality of a diet by using natural foods, I would personally choose butter; however, market behavior shows that not everyone shares this opinion... :-)

Good day,
does cholesterol oxidize in butter/lard when frying/baking, even if we pay attention to the correct temperature, i.e., when we pay attention to the smoke point? And in this regard, is it better to use ghee for similar preparations, or does it not matter?
Thank you in advance for your response.

During heat processing, cholesterol oxidation occurs, but the extent of oxidation is determined by the specific temperature (higher values lead to an increased share of oxidized cholesterol) and the duration of thermal manipulation. This applies to butter in general, including ghee. It is always more advantageous to use clarified butter for heat processing due to its higher smoke point (this point is determined by the content of impurities in the fat, not the lipid profile). However, in relation to cholesterol oxidation, the cooking process should be as short as possible.

Hello,

I perceive it as better to use pressed oils for cold cuisine, and also for hot cuisine if one monitors the smoke point. Furthermore, you can work with refined oils, where although the nutrient-rich sediment is removed, in lower doses it is still better than burning cold-pressed oils. Producers might proudly announce that oils are extra virgin and cold-pressed, but how should one proceed in cases where nothing can be discerned from the labels? How can I distinguish the desired refined fats for cooking from those that are esterified and hydrogenated (the rule of 'the more solid, the worse' supposedly no longer applies)? For example, an oil like majola contains nothing more than sunflower oil according to the ingredients. Suitable for both hot and cold cuisine. Perhaps it's better to leave such oil on the shelf...

Or take butter, for instance; I would expect it to be hydrogenated, but I learn nothing from the ingredients, and moreover, it has a very low smoke point, so I would rather expect it not to be processed in that way.

When choosing fats for cooking, first define the purpose (at what temperatures) you will use them. Meal preparation should be as simple as possible, so there's no need to complicate the situation with a complex selection of suitable fats. Butter is not hydrogenated; the term "hydrogenated" refers to the process in which unsaturated fats undergo saturation of double bonds with hydrogen, which does not occur with butter. Traditional butter has a low smoke point due to the residual content of lactose and proteins, which easily burn. For cooking, it is beneficial to use ghee – if you are not keen on plant-based forms of saturated fats, ghee should suffice perfectly well for cooking.

Hello,
A very simple question - when choosing between butter or margarine for bread... which option and why is better for the body?
Thank you.

The evaluation of both foods depends on the perspective you choose. If you consider the quality of the ingredients, butter clearly wins, as margarine is a highly processed food product. However, if you evaluate purely from a nutritional standpoint, most margarines would be the winner, as manufacturers often fortify them not only with omega-3 and sometimes omega-9 fats, but also with certain vitamins and antioxidants (D, E, beta-carotene...) – the difference then becomes more than transparent. Due to the desire to maintain the highest possible quality of a diet using natural foods, I personally always choose butter, but market behavior shows that not everyone shares this opinion... :-)