Published at 16:51, Thursday, 07 February 2013

After years of being told butter is bad, veg oil is good and low-fat spreads make us healthier, apparently it’s all wrong.

The latest study reveals that margarines, olive oil spreads and the rest are not always the healthy option we’ve been repeatedly told they are.

Millions of us worried about saturated fats have dumped butter for low-fat spreads, margarine and olive-based products, hoping to ease the strain on the heart and reduce their intake of calories.

But a survey by Consumers Association Which? of more than 100 spreads has found some of those that we think are helping our hearts and lowering our calorie intake actually have high levels of dangerous trans fats.

One nutritionist criticised one own label margarine from Somerfield saying “it should come with a health warning”.

Another popular olive oil spread – sold by M&S – was found to contain four per cent of the oil.

I’ve never been a fan. I don’t like the idea of eating something that has been cooked up in a laboratory and involves ingredients that sound like characters from a zombie movie.

I have butter on my toast, crumpets, muffins and baked potatoes.

It goes in my mashed spuds, risottos, pasta sauces and sometimes gravy.

It’s never very much and it’s not every day.

But at least I know it’s only come from a cow.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk