Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings.

DO YOU KNOW..the difference between margarine and butter?

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine..

Very high in trans fatty acids.

Triple risk of coronary heart disease.

Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC..

This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

@ the last paragraph. Makes me think differently about margarine, after reading that.

psychodelicide said:

I don't buy margarine, but I do use butter in baking. I never use either on bread, I prefer peanut butter.

pplrain said:

After reading the article, I don't think I'll be buying margarine either. Peanut butter on bread is delicious!

psychodelicide said:

Nothing better than peanut butter and Smuckers strawberry jelly on bread...

pplrain said:

You know what else is good? Peanut butter on a Ritz cracker. It sounds like it wouldn't taste too good, but it is yummy!

psychodelicide said:

My daughter loves that as a snack...

pplrain said:

A friend I had as a child introduced me to peanut butter on a Ritz. At first I was reluctant ("Ewww, peanut butter on a cracker?"), but my friend was like, "Try it, it's really good." I did, and I loved it, and started making it at home for a snack. Now Ritz has those mini crackers with peanut butter on them that you can buy at the store. I love those too, but I tend to like the bigger Ritz crackers that I put the peanut butter on myself. Bigger crackers and more peanut butter.

psychodelicide said:

Her teacher at school introduced her to it and she came home one day and asked for it, so we went to the store to buy the exact cracker she was asking for .... she is so particular. She likes them on the tiny square cheese ritz crackers.
[Edited 3/7/09 16:35pm]

pplrain said:

Kids can be particular, no doubt about that. I saw that in my nephews too, when they were younger. But they seemed to get better as they got older.

It's pretty good, it has omega3 in it.

wildgoldenhoney said:

But it is still artificial isn't it?

psychodelicide said:

Not to mention clothes... another bigger issue.

I never use either.

Neither.

This is better.
http://www.earthbalancena...rt-health/


or

Fauxie said:

me either, I've put canola oil instead of butter or marg when I make buns, and it tastes the same

ZombieKitten said:

Just wait, the anti-canola brigade will be all over you.

Fauxie said:

ZombieKitten said:

Seriously, someone dissed me in chat about a month ago for using canola oil.

Fauxie said:

we should only use the oil from our faces I suppose