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Margarines were originally developed in 1869 as an alternative to butter, which was in short supply and expensive. The first margarines were made from animal fats, but today most margarine is formulated with vegetable oils. The product range now includes table margarines, bakery margarines, specialized puff pastry margarine, and has recently been extended to various "low calorie" spreads, which essentially contain much higher levels of water and lower levels of fat than those legally required in margarine.

Americans eat more than twice as much margarine products as they do butter. The reason could be margarine’s taste, versatility, spreadability or reasonable price -- but more healthful eating is the most important reason. Because health experts recommend a diet lower in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol to reduce the risk of heart disease, margarine consumption has become a key part of dietary recommendations made by leading health organizations.

2. Why are margarine products sensible alternatives to butter?

Margarine products are a wise alternative for consumers who want a tasty tablespread that offers nutritional advantages over butter. In addition, margarine products contain no cholesterol and 0-2 grams of saturated fat Many margarine products are much lower in total fat and calories than butter. Not only are margarine products a good source of vitamins A and E, they also contain mono- and poly-unsaturated fats as well as linoleic and linolenic acids, both of which are essential fatty acids.

3. Is it better to eat butter than margarine because of the trans fat? *

No. Although some margarines contain more trans fat than butter, the total of trans and saturated fat (the LDL-C raising fats) is always less than the total for butter. The total for butter is much higher because of all the saturated fat that it contains. The chart below shows you the comparisons of the content of these types of fats in butter and in some margarines. It is usually better to eat the softer or liquid margarines that contain lower amounts of saturated and trans fats. Also, nonstick cooking spray may be substituted for other fats when "greasing" the pan. The following information is from the most recently available 1995 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FDA data. Since that time, the margarine industry has reformulated many margarine products to reduce the total fat, saturated fat and trans fat content.

4. How can consumers be assured that it’s OK to eat margarine?

Consumers should listen to the advice of leading health authorities such as the American Heart Association, the National Cholesterol Education Program, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Dietetic Association – all of these organizations stress the need to reduce total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet. For heart health, leading health groups recommend margarine over butter because margarine has no cholesterol and much less saturated fat, and many margarine products have less total fat, trans fat and calories as well. These organizations also stress that consumers are still eating way too much saturated fat, and that should be the primary focus of any diet designed to reduce heart disease risk.

5. What is the bottom line on trans fat and margarine?

When it comes to overall nutrition, even the more traditional margarine products (those that have 60% or more oil) have a better nutritional profile than butter (even when trans fat is added to the amount of saturated fat). This can be illustrated if one were to add up the amount of trans fat and the amount of saturated fat in each of these products. Even if trans fats do act similarly to saturated fat, margarine wins nutritionally each and every time, and the reduced-fat, low-fat and fat-free margarine products also provide consumers the opportunity to reduce saturated fat and trans fat even further.

source: http://www.choosemargarine.com/faq.html