Margarine vs butter

The fats in margarine have a lower risk for causing heart damage than the fats in butter, because butter contains saturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. A diet high in saturated fat may cause a soft, waxy substance, called cholesterol, to build up in the arteries.

Review Date: 05/03/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.