Right spread on bread

Choosing the right spread for your bread can work wonders for your heart as it cuts cholesterol.

Choosing the right spread for your bread can work wonders for your heart as it cuts cholesterol and is even more effective than banning butter from your diet.

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Otago University researchers have revealed that replacing butter with some specialised margarines is much better for arteries rather than switching to a diet, which is low in fats and high in carbohydrates.

The cholesterol-lowering power of the spreads is well established but researchers Professor Murray Skeaff and Professor Jim Mann have said that theirs is the first study to compare them to a diet without spreads.

"For years, many people have believed the best way to lower blood cholesterol is to eat as little fat as possible," the New Zealand Herald quoted Skeaff as saying.

"This new research shows that eating a healthy diet including a spread enriched with plant sterols is considerably more effective in lowering blood cholesterol level than cutting out spreads altogether," he added.

Meanwhile, the Heart Foundation has also supported the use of margarines but only as part of a balanced diet and alongside cholesterol-reducing medicines.