Margarine is made from vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, soya bean oil, linseed oil and rape-seed oil. Margarine contains essential fats.
Your body can not make essential fats by itself; they need to come from your diet. That's why spreading with margarine is better than not spreading at all. Per calorie, margarine is a denser source of essential fats than other healthy foods (mixed nuts, olive oil, salmon) or butter.
Vitamins A, D and E need to be provided by the diet as our body can not make Vitamins A and E by itself and can only produce Vitamin D in certain conditions (if the body is exposed to sunlight).
*vitamin A: (retinol) is good for eyesight and healthy skin. *vitamin D: (D2-ergocalciferol, D3-cholecalciferol) is good for strong bones, muscles and teeth.
*vitamin E: (tocopherol) is good for protecting body cells against damage caused by oxidation.
20 g of margarine (the normal amount you put on 2-4 slices of bread) provides 20-30% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin A, D and E [check local product composition].
Other sources of vitamin A:
fish oil, beef liver, egg yolk, fat cheese, cow milk, spinach, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, apricots.
Other sources of vitamin D:
this comes mainly from sun exposure. With the exception of margarine, fatty fish, milk and fortified soya drinks, it is contained in very few foodstuffs.
Other sources of vitamin E:
wheat germ oil, almonds, sunflower seeds and oil, hazelnuts, peanuts, maize oil, spinach, broccoli, soya beans, kiwis, mangos.
These three form a great team when combined in a nutritious and balanced breakfast for your family.
Margarine is a quality source of energy and is a good source of vitamin D [adapt locally, not in all countries we have vitamin D in our products], which helps our body absorb the calcium in dairy products.
Fruit has high a vitamin content, a low calorie count and adds flavour to your meal.
In fact, certain margarines may help to manage blood cholesterol levels.
Saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels in the blood and this can increase the risk of heart disease.
The Un-saturated good fats can actually help to manage healthy cholesterol levels.
70% of people in the world have high cholesterol, 40% know about this, and only a few take action.
Margarine contains more unsaturated essential fats than butter. Margarine also contains less saturated fat than butter which is high in saturated fat.
Respected international health authorities, agree that it is beneficial to replace saturated fat with unsaturated fat.
Animal fats products like butter, lard and fatty cuts of meat tend to contain high levels of the bad (saturated and trans-) fats.
Replacing 20g of your daily butter intake with 20g of margarine, can help you manage your cholesterol levels and thereby help to maintain the health of your heart.