Trans fatty acids, commonly known as trans fats, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Stick margarines contain trans fats, while tub and liquid margarines are often free of trans fats. No-trans-fat margarine is considered better for your health than butter.

Butter

According to the Harvard Health Letter, the saturated fat in butter aggressively raises level of LDL, or bad, cholesterol, which clogs arteries and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Saturated fat in butter also raises HDL, or good cholesterol, but not enough to make up for the increase in LDL cholesterol. The Cleveland Clinic says a healthy range of saturated fat is 10 to 15 grams a day, and just a tablespoon of butter has over 7 grams. It’s recommended that healthy adults consume no more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol per day from all foods, and 1 tablespoon of butter has 33 milligrams of cholesterol.

Trans Fat

Trans fat is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oils to make them more solid and less likely to spoil, which is why trans fat is also called partially hydrogenated oils. The more solid a margarine is at room temperature, the more trans fats it contains. Trans fats have been shown to increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol, making them worse than saturated fats. The Cleveland Clinic reports that trans fat may also make platelets more likely to stick together, which can lead to blood clots in the arteries. In addition to raising the risk of heart disease, the American Heart Association says trans fats may also increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

No-Trans-Fat Margarine

No-trans-fat margarine is created by switching the first ingredient from partially hydrogenated oils to water or liquid vegetable oil. Margarine without trans fat is considered healthier than butter because this type of margarine is low in saturated fat, high in unsaturated fat and devoid of artery-clogging trans fat. The FDA allows margarine labeled “no trans fat” or “trans fat free” to contain 0.5 gram of trans fat, but this amount is better than the 3 grams of trans fats in stick margarine and far superior to butter packed with saturated fat and cholesterol.

Considerations

Keep in mind that margarine is not recommended for baking because it is low in fat. The Cleveland Clinic says moderate amounts of butter, such as 1 tablespoon a few times a month, are probably fine, but no-trans-fat margarine is better healthwise. In 2006, an FDA ruling took effect requiring food companies to list on nutrition labels the amount of trans fat that foods contain. The amount of saturated fat must also be listed. Some spreads are fortified with plant stanols and sterols, substances that help the body block absorption of cholesterol. Margarines with added plant sterols can help reduce bad cholesterol by more than 10 percent, according to MayoClinic.com.