Food that is popular in Spain and that doctors never take

Just take a look to see a clear example of what breakfasts from our kids. A few years ago, sugary cereals or industrial baked goods with just the right amount of calories and saturated fat were commonplace, and now there is a growing awareness of healthy food consumption. In this sense, it is also curious about the misperception of certain foods that, despite the passage of years and increased awareness, continue to be widely consumed and considered by many doctors as foods that should be excluded from every pantry.

This is about margarine, a product very similar to butter, which was initially presented as a particularly healthy alternative because it contained oils that could be of plant origin and which were inherently lower in saturated fat than the original butter. The latter was prepared on the basis of cream or milk, which already contained these saturated fats as a base.

Better than butter?

For a long time there was a widespread belief that margarine is much healthier than oil at the level of cardiovascular health. However, over the years, several studies have cast doubt on this product, which ultimately proved to be neither healthy nor a useful ingredient for daily consumption.

Studies have shown that margarine contains large amounts of so-called Trans fats, which end up being some of the worst because they raise LDL cholesterol, which is called bad, and lower HDL cholesterol, which is good. Thus, the accumulation of cholesterol at the arterial level may contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Processed fried foods or baked goods are common carriers of this type of fat.

Today, despite all this, there are many medical professionals, such as cardiologists, who fight against the consumption of these calories. It is estimated that for every spoonful of margarine consumed daily, the likelihood of death increases by 6%. Some note that they also have risks to the brain: The Journal of Neuroscience recently noted that higher levels of these fats are associated with a greater likelihood of developing dementia.

For all these reasons, their advice is clear: although manufacturers have improved recipes, it is ideal to always prefer butter or directly olive oilwhich helps reduce the risk of death.