Butter is one of the most popular food items. Some of us eat it at nearly every meal, whether we are slathering it on a baked potato, using it to bake cookies or dipping crabmeat in it. Tons of different brands of butter line the refrigerated section at the grocery store, and advertisements for butter are commonly seen during commercial breaks.

Even though it is popular, butter has gotten a bad reputation over the years. People on diet crazes try to avoid it at all costs and it has been said that it clogs arteries and raises cholesterol.

A local nutrition and health expert took a look at the common myths that float around butter. Dr. Manabu Nakamura, associate professor of nutrition, debunked and proved some of the well-known fables about butter.

*Butter is bad for you: TRUE and FALSE*

“Occasional consumption of butter does not have any effect, but if you eat lots of butter everyday it can be detrimental,” Nakamura said.

So next time you are about to slather it all over a steaming bun, take a little bit less of this delicious, fatty spread.

It is important to only eat butter in moderation because it is packed with saturated fat, which is known to raise cholesterol. It is not completely empty calories — butter is energy packed and it has vitamins A and E, according to Nakamura.

*Margarine is healthier than butter: TRUE*

“About ten years ago, (margarine) was not better than butter at all. Nowadays, margarine’s bad effect on cholesterol is getting better,” Nakamura said. “Margarine used to contain trans fat, which is just about as bad as saturated fat.”

Margarine was made to be the healthier version of butter, but for a while it wasn’t much healthier. The making of margarine has been perfected now so that it is healthier to eat because most factories have stopped using the trans fat generating process, Nakamura said.

Margarine is the overall healthier choice to make, but it still isn’t quite the same as butter. It will always be a little off, so consumers have to make the choice between rich butter and its healthier imitation margarine.

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Butter doesn’t spoil: FALSE*

“There is a small amount of chemicals in butter that create the aroma. These eventually degrade and in terms of the quality, it too degrades over time,” Nakamura said.

This process takes quite a bit of time so don’t worry if you leave butter in your fridge while you go on vacation. Its shelf life can extend up to three months, so it should still be fairly fresh by the time you return.

Margarine is one molecule away from being plastic: VERY FALSE

When posed with this question, Nakamura let out a chuckle. This myth is pretty far off from the truth.

Margarine is said to be so mutated that it is very close to being plastic. This is false, so have no fear when you eat margarine — it is nothing like eating Tupperware.

“Plastic and margarine are very different,” Nakamura said. “Margarine is way closer to butter than plastic.”

_Haley is a freshman in Media._