Does Butter Make you Fatter Than Margarine?

Margarine was invented in 1867 by Emperor Napoleon III. At the time, he was looking for an inexpensive butter substitute for his armies and commissioned the French chemist Meges-Mourièr, who obtained the first substitute from beef tallow. In 1869, he even patented this process for spreading fat.

What is margarine actually made of?

Today, margarine is made primarily from vegetable oils and is therefore cholesterol-free. Margarine also contains water or skim milk, emulsifiers, vitamins, flavorings and colorings. The fat content is 80% and the water content is 18%.

And the butter?

In comparison, butter is made from milk and cream, so whether it is sweet cream butter, mild soured butter or sour cream butter, it contains at least 82% fat and no more than 16% water.

Conclusion

So the widespread assumption that margarine is lower in fat than butter is not true. The insignificant difference in fat content does not allow a distinction to be made as to which product is fattening or not.

Nutrition experts recommend not exceeding a daily fat intake of 30 to 35 percent. In general, therefore, everyone should limit their fat intake as much as possible and use spreadable fats sparingly. Thus, in the end, the decision whether to use butter or margarine should remain a matter of taste.