What makes margarine different from butter? And why is margarine bad for you?

Answer 1

Margarine is made with partially hydrogenated oils, otherwise known as trans fats. Fats, on a molecular level, are all chains of molecules called lipids. Vegetable oils in liquid form, such as olive oil and canola oil, are the straightest kind of chains- unsaturated fats. Animal fats, like butter, are made of double chains- saturated fats. Trans fats come from unnaturally manipulating vegetable oils to make them solid at room temperature (as in Crisco and margarine), making thick chains that are very hard for the body to break down. Neither margarine nor butter are good for you in large quantities, but if you're directly comparing them, butter is better. Better still are newer butter alternative spreads like Olivio or Smart Start, made with vegetable oils but without trans fats.

Answer 2

Butter is made from milk or cream depending on how technical you want to get. Margarine is made of oleo( vegetable oils and such) As far as on being worse for you than the other I think that depends on who you ask. Both can be bad for you if they are used excessively. I think its all about what you prefer and moderation

Answer 3

Margarine is made from plants and contains transfats. Butter is an animal by-product.

Answer 4

margarine is made in a lab, butter is natural.

Answer 5

Margarine is artificial.

Answer 6

its the other way round, its BUTTER that is BAD. margerine is made from plants and is lower in both saturataed fats (bad fats) and high LDL cholesterol. (thats the stuff that blocks your arteries and can eventually lead to heart trouble etc). butter is high in both because of the animal fat used in it. Marg is also lower in calories.