(Strange World/Strange World)
The truth is that neither is a good example of healthy food. Both have fats that make bad cholesterol, LDL, increase. “LDL clogs the arteries, reducing the amount of blood that reaches the heart, and leads to heart attacks and strokes”, says cardiologist Bruno Caramelli, from the Heart Institute (InCor), in São Paulo. The delights that we spread on bread are filled with fats. Butter, of animal origin, and margarine, of vegetable origin. In theory, vegetable fats would be “less bad”, but margarines undergo a chemical process to become solid – hydrogenation – which generates the so-called trans fats, which increase LDL and even lower “good cholesterol”, HDL. “Fat from an animal source can also indirectly lead to this, but through other mechanisms”, says Bruno. For anyone concerned about having a healthy diet, specialists recommend an alternative solution: “For those with high cholesterol, a tip is to replace butter and margarine with cottage cheese or ricotta”, says nutritionist Anna Christina Castilho, from the Institute of Metabolism and Nutrition, in São Paulo. There is also a special type of margarine, with a substance called phytosterol, which helps to lower LDL.
Consultancy: Marcelo Montera, cardiologist at Hospital Pró-Cardíaco (SP)