Are you Team Butter or Team Spread? The relative value of each has been the subject of slippery debate for decades. And with a wider range of spreads available than ever before, it’s hard to know which ones (if any) are making healthy choices.
Expansion has certainly come a long way since it was first made in France in 1869 from rendered beef fat churned with milk. By the 1970s, spreads were growing in popularity as we dutifully followed health advice to avoid the saturated fat abundant in butter. As we entered the 2000s, spreads exploded; they were thought to be cheaper than butter and increasingly healthier.
According to consumer analysts at Mintel, we consume more than 120 million kilograms of butter every year in the UK today; That’s not far behind the 147 million kilograms of butter we buy.
From spreadable butters to ones designed to lower cholesterol, our spread options are now many and varied. So what do we actually add to our toast when we reach for butter alternatives? So, are these beneficial for us?
What are spreads?
Not so long ago, spreads were made by hardening vegetable oils to a butter-like consistency using a process called partial hydrogenation. This created trans fats, which are now known to be bad for heart health, so manufacturers of spreads sold in the UK these days use a different technique called interesterification to harden the oils.
“This method can harden vegetable oils, giving them a butter-like consistency, making them spreadable and avoiding the health risks associated with trans fats,” says Alex Ruani, PhD researcher and principal scientific lecturer at University College London. Academy of Health Sciences.
‘Margarine’ tends to be used as a general term for all types of spreads. Technically, it can only be used on packaging if the product is enriched with vitamins A and D. However, ‘margarine’ fell out of use; The term still connotes unhealthy trans fats, and manufacturers now prefer to promote the healthy aspects of their products.
Different types of spreads
“There’s a wide spectrum when it comes to the healthiness of supplements,” says Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a registered dietitian and author. How to Avoid Consuming Ultra Processed Foods?.
Some spreads contain high amounts of healthy unsaturated fats as well as added vitamins like A, B12, and D, so they make good choices. “However, many commercial spreads are overly processed due to the presence of additives designed to alter flavor, texture, or shelf life,” explains Ludlam-Raine. “Choosing less processed options often means choosing spreads that contain heart-healthy fats and offer some health benefits without too many additives.”
Red flags that a spread is a hyperprocessed food (UPF) are the presence of emulsifiers, preservatives, colors and flavors (whether natural or not), or other ingredients you don’t recognize in the ingredients list. Spreads that contain only butter, water, oil, and salt may not be UPF, but it’s difficult to know for sure. If the manufacturer has used interesterification to harden the oils, the product is a UPF. “The problem is that manufacturers do not disclose whether the vegetable oils used are liquid or hard (interesterified).”
Ludlam-Raine says that in general, the shorter the ingredients list, the better, but that’s not always the case. “Some spreads contain added vitamins, which can lengthen the ingredient list, but that’s not a bad thing.”
We asked our experts to rate a number of popular spreads on how good they are for their health, especially heart health. They took into account the amount of saturated fat and salt they contained, monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids, and whether they contained types of emulsifiers. “These have been associated with higher risks of heart disease and stroke,” says Ruani. However, he emphasizes that more research is needed on these substances. The amount of omega-6 fats was also taken into account. “Too much omega-6 in relation to omega-3 in the diet increases heart risk and inflammatory markers,” he adds.
Butter spreads
Spreadable butters contain butter (sometimes listed as cream or milk on the label) mixed with rapeseed and/or other oils, water, and salt. Their texture is soft enough to be taken straight from the refrigerator, and they taste like butter, at least in theory.
Lactic cultures, sometimes known as ‘lactic acid bacteria’, are added to enhance flavor and make buttercreams softer and easier to use. Lactic acid bacteria are probiotics and have many benefits for intestinal health; However, this benefit is not available when added to butter pastes. “Due to the high oil content, low humidity and storage conditions, their survival is very limited,” Ruani explains.