Butter or margarine: which is healthier?

For the heart, it depends on the margarine and your risk. Butter has more saturated fat, 45.6 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 15.2 g in this margarine. Across 54 trials, every oil tested lowered LDL cholesterol more than butter did, by 8.9 to 16.2 mg/dL (0.23 to 0.42 mmol/L), on low-quality evidence for several comparisons. Among 221,054 US adults followed for up to 33 years, the highest butter intake went with 15% higher total mortality, an observational link only.

Trials that swapped saturated fat for corn oil and polyunsaturated margarine showed no benefit on deaths. In another, in men after a coronary event, 17.6% on the swap died against 11.8%. Those trials ran in the 1960s and 70s. Since December 2023, US margarine cannot use partially hydrogenated oils.

Spreads with added plant sterols lowered LDL by 21 mg/dL (0.55 mmol/L) across 125 studies. EU labels say they are for people who need to control cholesterol, and to stay under 3 g of added sterols a day. They may not suit pregnancy, breastfeeding or children under 5, and people on cholesterol drugs should use them only under medical supervision.

If your heart risk is low, cutting saturated fat brought little or no benefit over 5 years in trials. For cooking, the evidence favors a liquid plant oil. None covers baking.

Evidence behind this note

1. Level A Every oil tested lowered LDL by 8.9 to 16 mg/dL (0.23 to 0.42 mmol/l) when it took the place of a tenth of the calories from butter across 54 randomized trials, and so did beef fat. J Lipid Res, 2018
2. Level A The same review that ranked butter last rated most of its own LDL cholesterol comparisons, drawn from 54 trials, low or moderate in quality. J Lipid Res, 2018
3. Level C Over 33 years the highest quarter of butter intake was associated with 15 percent higher total mortality, and the highest quarter of plant oil intake with 16 percent lower. JAMA Intern Med, 2025
4. Level A A meta-analysis of five RCTs (10,808 people) that swapped saturated fat for linoleic acid from corn oil and polyunsaturated margarine found no benefit on coronary or all-cause death despite lower cholesterol. BMJ, 2016
5. Level B In the Sydney Diet Heart RCT on 458 men after a coronary event, switching to safflower oil and safflower margarine raised all-cause deaths to 17.6% vs 11.8% in controls. BMJ, 2013
6. Level E FDA revoked the old authorization for partially hydrogenated oils in margarine, effective 22 December 2023, because these uses may be injurious to health. US FDA, Revocation of Uses of Partially Hydrogenated Oils in Foods, Federal Register 2023-16725, 2023
7. Level A Across 125 studies, foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols lowered LDL cholesterol by 21 mg/dL (0.55 mmol/L) on average, and spreads such as margarine cut it more than bread, biscuit or cereal formats. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2023
8. Level E EU law requires spreads with added plant sterols or stanols to warn that more than 3 g a day should be avoided and that the food may not be nutritionally appropriate for pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 5. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex III point 5.1 (consolidated text 1 January 2018)
9. Level E The same EU rules make the label say the spread is not meant for people who do not need to control their cholesterol, that patients on cholesterol-lowering medicine should use it only under medical supervision, and that fruit and vegetables help keep carotenoid levels up. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex III point 5.1 (consolidated text 1 January 2018)
10. Level A Cutting saturated fat bought almost nothing for people at low heart risk and a real amount for those at high risk. Ann Intern Med, 2026

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Read more about these foods

• Butter: the answer depends on what replaces it
• Margarine: sterol spreads lower LDL, old trials leave questions

Rankings and guides

• Fiber: what it does and how much you need
• Sodium: what it does and how much you need
• Which foods are highest in potassium?
• Butter: full nutrition facts

• Butter: USDA FoodData Central, Butter, stick, salted, FDC ID 790508 · full profile · all forms of butter
• Margarine: USDA FoodData Central, Margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, stick, with salt, FDC ID 172346 · all forms of margarine

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.