Back to Square One

Lovers of butter, rejoice.  A new study published last week states that the guidelines which were issued in the 1980s telling people to stop eating fatty foods like butter and cheese, should never have been introduced. These dietary guidelines, which were aimed at reducing coronary heart disease by limiting fat intake, advised people to cut their overall fat consumption to 30% and to lower saturated fat consumption to 10%. Because of these earlier guidelines, we have been favouring margarine over butter for many years.
 However, new research published in the British Medical Journal on Tuesday last week says that the recommendations which were made in the UK and U.S. from 1977 onwards, could not be backed up with proper scientific evidence. We also understand that margarine is not very good for consumption after all. The chemical composition of margarine is similar to that of plastic and it shares 27 ingredients with paint, and if a tub of margarine is left open in a shaded area, no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it. Butter has many nutritional benefits whereas margarine has none. Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods. In line with earlier guidelines, we have been spreading margarine on our toast, but in view of these new guidelines, we will revert to butter our bread.
Dinesh Sheth
Newbury Park, Ilford