Q and A with Dr. Alan Christianson, Naturopathic Physician
Question:
Which is better, butter or margarine?
Answer:
That is a question that has been the center of much confusion and controversy. Let's try to tease apart some things we are sure of from the assumptions. For starters, many studies have shown a high correlation between saturated fat intake and heart disease and many forms of cancer. Saturated fat means butter and margarine (and tropical oils and animal fats for that matter). How much is too much? Meta analysis papers (analysis of a large number of research papers) have suggested 10 - 20 % of calories from fat as an optimum upper limit. Much more raises risks for cancers - especially breast cancer.
Some papers have suggested that much less than 15 % starts to raise risks for colon cancer. What does 15 - 20 % of calories from fat look like on your plate? Not a heck of a lot! Fat contains twice the calories, gram per gram as either protein or carbohydrate. Fat sources also tend to be devoid of water and fiber which give bulk to the food without calories. There are about 15 grams in a tablespoon. A tablespoon of fat thus has around 150 calories. A typical meal is around 750 calories. Therefore 1 tablespoon of fat, from all sources, with each meal gives about 20% calories from fat. This has to include oils in cooking, sauces, spreads and dips along with fats already in the foods. Labels now list grams of fat and often % calories from fat. This is just about total fat.
Saturated fat should not make up more than 20% of total fat intake. For a 1500 calorie/day diet at 20% of calories from fat, this equates to 6 grams of saturated fat. This is the amount in about 2 teaspoons of butter. Fats are primarily long chains of carbon atoms each with attached hydrogen. All fats found in nature (even natural saturated fats like butter, tropical oils and animal fats), are is fats. This means that their carbons are lined up in a C curve. This curve allows for the fats to be stacked in cell membranes.
When fats are heated and exposed to hydrogen, the carbon chains kink into an S like shape instead of the C shape. This bent molecule is now a Trans fatty acid. Trans fats are found in almost all processed foods. Crisco, all margarine's (some more than others) and most of the commercial milk replaces and nondairy creamers are the main sources. Additionally, anything listing hydrogenated oil, partially hydrogenated oil, margarine or vegetable shortening on the label contains Trans fatty acids. Homogenized milk and products containing it also contain Trans fatty acids. Trans fats have no role in normal physiology. They are absorbed, but are not amenable to normal metabolism due to their altered form.
Some European countries have gone as far as outlawing dietary trans fatty acids. Much research has been correlating Trans fatty acids with cardiovascular disease, blood sugar disorders and certain types of cancers. Some has been equivocal, while some recent studies have been dramatic. One study last year confirmed the correlation between breast cancer and saturated fat and went on to show that Trans fats gave 12 times the risk of saturated fat in general.
Clearly, if the risks given are 12 times that of saturated fat for one particular condition, Trans fatty acids are not doing the body any favors. An advantage that margarine has is that it is a plant based food. This gives it lower levels of pesticides as they concentrate up the food chain. Cows like people concentrate toxins in the least active (out of the way) tissues. This is primarily fat. Therefore, animal fat has more pesticide residues than leaner animal foods.
Butter is pure animal fat. Therefore if it is derived from animals raised on food free of pesticides, it will contain much less pesticides itself. An advantage of butter is one of it's constituents - butyric acid. Butyric acid is absorbed from butter and also made from the good bacteria in the intestines when you eat soluble fiber (from fruits and vegetables, not grains - except oats). More butyric acid means less risk of colon cancer. The correlation is so tight that stool butyrate levels are actually a test to evaluate long term colon cancer risk. So which is better butter or margarine? The circuitous answer is: small amounts of organic butter!
How to be Healthy
With all the volumes of research and opposing views generated daily, how can we know what to do? Yes, details can be confusing. Experts argue. Diets come and go. Exercise fads grab our attention for awhile. Multi level supplement companies promise to cure all ills, and give residual income for life. Many give up on health thinking it too confusing. The truth is that health is neither confusing, complex nor unrealistic.
Most of us need to focus on correcting basic habits before worrying about subtle distinctions. People have seemingly complex concerns. Why am I always tired? How do I lower my blood pressure? Many times the answers are as simple as sleeping at night or drinking water.
Our systems have build in mechanisms that strive for homeostasis. When the fundamentals to health are in place, it is more able to repair. Many symptoms then resolve. There are many details that are controversial and sometimes confusing. Would 400 IU's of Vitamin E protect better than 200? Do electromagnetic fields really raise cancer risk? Will I need to take estrogen after menopause?
My argument is that the most critical factors determining overall health are not at all complicated or controversial. Most of us will get the most benefit to our health by focusing on the basic elements.
What are these basic elements? We can agree upon a few essential areas: regular exercise, unprocessed diet, adequate water, good sleep and strong relationships. Let us briefly explore these.
Exercise Use it or lose it.
Challenge your physical abilities regularly or they will decline. What forms of exercise are best? The ones that you enjoy and will do long term. Variety reduces boredom. Include exercises for aerobic, anaerobic and flexibility/coordination development. Many find it easier to stay on track with exercise as a daily habit rather than a few times per week. Aerobic fitness is from running, biking, swimming, fast walking or aerobic machines. These burn calories, lower risk of cancer and heart disease and improve mood. Anaerobic fitness can be obtained from lifting weights, calisthenics or strenuous Yoga. These strengthen bones and the immune system. Flexibility and coordination are improved with Yoga, martial arts, dance or team sports. These provide postural alignment, balance and reduce stress.
What is a good diet?
People are different and have needs that vary. Differences can be based on body frame, blood type, environmental climate, activity level, age and gender. Even with all of these variables, we can find universal trends. Foods that are minimally processed promote better health. Choose raw/lightly cooked over reheated, reheated over frozen and frozen over canned. Buy organic whenever possible. Prepare your own meals for work or for short trips. Your food will be much better quality. It takes less time to fix a meal and eat it later than it does to have lunch out. Eat a variety of foods. The average hunter-gatherer eats over 300 types of plants and over 50 types of animals. Americans get 90% + of their diets from refined wheat, processed dairy, poorly raised beef, hydrogenated oils and refined sugar. Try a new fruit or vegetable each week with a variety of colors. Try new protein sources - add in soy foods, ostrich or buffalo. Experiment with new grains like amaranth, quinoa or kamut. Practice listening to your body. Some foods work well with your system and some do not. With most foods, you probably already know how they affect you. Before choosing a food, imagine how it would make you feel.
Water
One of the best things you can do for your health is stay well hydrated. Is your urine usually clear? If it is usually yellow, you are probably not well hydrated. The thirst response does not work if you lose even 3% of your fluids. Because of this, you may be chronically dehydrated and not thirsty. Use purified water and always having it available.
Sleep
Close to ½ of the population is sleep deprived, according to top researchers. This decreases driving ability, decision making and emotional balance. If you need an alarm to wake or would fall asleep if left in a dark room, you are behind on sleep. Sleeping later is not as helpful as earlier. Try taking just one day out of the week to get to bed an hour earlier than normal. Do not be surprised if it becomes a habit.
Relationships
Who are the five people with which you spend most of your time? They dictate your future potential. We 'eat' emotionally by diffusion. Spend time with people you would not mind emulating. Once the right people are in place, our own development dictates how we will interact with them. Are we done processing our childhood? Are there hidden agendas we go into relationships with? Healing our psyche often comes down to properly interpreting signals, like anxiety or depression. Many disciples of psychotherapy help us understand hidden elements of ourselves. Spiritual traditions exist to give us keys to cultivating freedom from the limitations of the 'separated' self. As Ramakrishna said an ounce of spiritual practice is worth a ton of theory. So it is with our health.
The magic elixir is not a complex medicine or supplement, but everyday actions and decisions done consistently. Health is not mysterious, complex or just up to our genes. It comes naturally when we do what we already know is best. |
