margarine 的害處是什麼?

植物牛油是一種利用氫化了的植物油來模擬牛油的產品代替品。植物牛油早期傳入中國時，margarine，也稱作人造奶油或植物黃油。

The intake of cholesterol has less of an effect on high blood cholesterol levels than saturated fat.[citation needed]. The FDA states that healthy people should not consume more than 200 mg of cholesterol each day, and butter contains approximately 33 mg of cholesterol in each tablespoon.[citation needed]. Margarine contains no cholesterol. However, your body transforms saturated fat into cholesterol.

When margarine was first introduced into the market place, it was loaded with trans fats. Hydrogenation "solidifies" liquid vegetable oil into a spread so it is easier to use. As a result of this hydrogenation process, trans fats are produced. Similar to saturated fats, trans fats also increase LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol).
It is clear that butter contains more saturated fats and trans fats when we add up the numbers. In addition, butter also contains cholesterol.

Another type of margarine is now widely available - non-hydrogenated margarine. This type of margarine contains no trans fat and is softer than the first-generation margarine stick. Instead of hydrogenating the liquid vegetable oil, manufacturers now add a tiny amount of modified palm and palm kernel oil to enhance spreadibility of margarine. By doing that, soft margarine can be trans fatty acid free.