Research Confirms Margarine's Healthfulness

46 FAMILIES END THE MARGARINE VS. BUTTER DEBATE

Margarine Significantly Lowers Cholesterol Compared to Butter

ATLANTA (December 6, 2000) -- Groundbreaking research published in the December 6, 2000 Journal of the American Medical Association ends a common diet debate by proving that margarine is a more heart-healthy choice than butter. In the first ever head-to-head competition evaluating the health benefits of margarine versus butter in families, margarine wins hands down.

The research, "Individual Cholesterol Variation in Response to a Margarine- or Butter-Based Diet," involved 46 biological families (226 individuals in all, with 92 adults and 134 children as young as six years). The end result? Regular soft margarine significantly lowered total cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol when compared to butter. In about one-fourth of the study population, the margarine-based diet even lowered total cholesterol levels as much as cholesterol-lowering medication.

Margo Denke, M.D., an associate professor of medicine and nutrition researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, notes that compared to butter, the margarine lowered levels of the LDL (bad) cholesterol by an average of 11 percent in adults and 9 percent in children. Total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced as well and did not affect the levels of the good (HDL) cholesterol. Such reductions in cholesterol levels can result in dramatic improvements in heart-health over one's lifetime. It is a well-established fact that reductions in blood cholesterol result in a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.

The study, which was designed to evaluate responsiveness to diet within families, confirmed that almost everyone can benefit from a heart-healthy diet. This was done by testing the simple change of one food component - margarine or butter. Results were similar for both adults and children, an important finding since other research has confirmed that heart disease begins developing in childhood.

The research findings support findings of ten other recent research studies which have found that commonly available margarine products are a significantly better choice than butter when it comes to maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels.

The margarine used in this study was chosen because it is representative of the types of margarines consumers can currently select in grocery stores today. The study results also support recommendations from the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program to select softer margarines instead of butter.

So if consumers have been confused about which is healthier -- margarine or butter -- this research certainly demonstrates that the simple substitution of margarine for butter can make a significant difference in an entire family's heart-health.

Reference: Denke, M., Adams-Huet, B., Nguyen, A. Individual Cholesterol Variation in Response to a Margarine- or Butter-Based Diet. Journal of the American Medical Association. December 6, 2000. Vol. 284. No. 21.2740-2747.

Note: The JAMA study was supported by a grant from the United Soybean Board and the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers, and by the General Clinical Research Center at UT Southwestern (U.S. Public Health Service grant).

UTSW Press Release
http://irweb.swmed.edu/newspub/newsdetl.asp?story_id=272

Journal of the American Medical Association Abstract
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/284/21/2740

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