Pros: Margarine is much lower in saturated fat than butter, and it is made from vegetable oils, so it contains no cholesterol.
Healthy Diet
Even though butter is a better choice over margarine, people who are overweight or obese are often advised not to consume butter. For such people, margarine with low or no trans fat is sometimes considered to be the best option, since it may prevent increases in blood cholesterol level and heart disease.
Margarine often tops butter when it comes to heart health. Margarine is a blend of oils that are mostly unsaturated fat. Butter is made from cream or milk. The type of fat found in animal products, such as cream, is mostly saturated fat.
Saturated and trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, so switch to fruit, nut or seed-based oils and spreads (such as canola, olive or sunflower) rather than choosing butter and other animal-based fats. Include a variety of healthy proteins.
Over 50 clinical studies have proven that the plant sterols in Flora ProActiv significantly lower cholesterol. Flora ProActiv spreads and drinks contain plant sterols which are natural substances that have powerful cholesterol reducing properties.
As part of a healthy diet, CSIRO and Heart Foundation recommend the use of margarine / table spread over butter. Using Nuttelex Original in place of butter will reduce the saturated fat intake by 2.5kg* per year *Based on 20g of margarine versus 20g of butter per day.
Saturated fats — such as those in meat, butter, cheese and other full-fat dairy products — raise your total cholesterol. Decreasing your consumption of saturated fats to less than 7% of your total daily calorie intake can reduce your LDL cholesterol by 8% to 10%.
So, what's the difference between margarine and spreads? Margarine must have a fat content of 80% or more (similar to butter). Spreads are similar to margarines, but with less fat. This is why Flora is called a spread – it contains less fat than margarine.
Butter is often wrongly associated with raising cholesterol and clogging arteries. However, recent research shows that the consumption of dairy products is not linked to health problems. In fact, adding full-fat dairy products like butter to your diet may even yield health benefits.
Butter can absolutely fit into a healthy diet, says registered dietitian Abbey Sharp, and grass-fed butter is the healthiest butter money can buy. Before we get into the health benefits of this type of butter, let's break down the fat content in butter in general.
(like Parkay®, Blue Bonnet® light tubs, etc.) Contains less saturated and trans fat than regular margarine. (like Benecol®, Promise Activ® original tubs, etc.) A spread with heart-healthy plant sterols or stanols; 2 grams per day can help lower LDL cholesterol if your diet is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Trans fat raises LDL (bad) cholesterol significantly – much more than saturated fat does. It also lowers HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol that helps prevent LDL cholesterol from building up in your arteries. The harder the margarine, the more trans fat it contains.
Regardless of the type, olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, containing about 75% by volume. When substituted for saturated fat, monounsaturated fats help lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol. The health benefits of olive oil have been attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.
It was Australia's first cholesterol oil free, 100% plant based spread to be sold nationally in supermarkets and today remains a leader in its category and a true family favourite.
Margarine and reduced-fat spreads are made up of oils that have been hardened but are still spreadable. They're made with vegetable oils such as sunflower, canola and olive oils, so they're much higher in beneficial mono-and polyunsaturated fats than butter.
Olive oil
Olive oil is another healthy replacement for butter. It is rich in monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Olive oil is an excellent choice for cooking, sautéing, and baking. Use it in place of butter in recipes that call for melted butter.
Flora ProActiv UK and Ireland, PO Box 75608, London, SW19 3RU. 3 servings of this spread (30g) gives you the daily amount of plant sterols (2.0g) that is proven to lower cholesterol. Each 10g serving of Flora ProActiv spread contains 0.7g of plant sterols. More than 3g a day is not recommended.
Lowering your cholesterol absorption doesn't mean you have to give up the taste you love. Flora ProActiv Buttery spread is churned with real buttermilk and is enriched with sterols from natural plant sources to lower cholesterol absorption.