Is margarine better than butter in a cholesterol-lowering eating pattern?

Answer: Yes. Butter is high in saturated fat, which raises blood cholesterol more than anything else you eat. Most margarines are made from vegetable oils that are hardened through a process called "hydrogenation." Hydrogenation forms a type of unsaturated fat called "trans" fat that appears to raise blood cholesterol more than other unsaturated fats but not as much as saturated fats. There are now margarines available that contain no "trans" fats. You can also read food labels and choose margarines that contain liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient (rather than hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil) and the least amount of saturated fat.

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