Most margarines are made from highly processed vegetable fats called hydrogenated fats, in which the chemistry of the oil has been altered so that it becomes solid. These hydrogenated fats can actually be harmful because they still have the hallmark of the original vegetable fat as far as the body and brain are concerned, for example linoleic acid in sunflower oil, but have been altered so that the body can' t use it.

This ' bad fit' can alter the way fatty membranes work in the body for the worse. So although the essential fatty acid content of cold pressed sunflower oil, for example, is good for you, highly processed versions of it are not. New brands of margarine, free from hydrogenated fats, are emerging, some with specified amounts of the essential, highly beneficial omega-3 and 6 fats. So I would recommend these, or butter as long as it' s organic.