The heavily industrialized frankenfood known as Smart Balance should more aptly be named Stupid Balance when you examine the ingredients list!
I’ve had it. Everyone has her limits and I’ve reached mine. If one more person who claims to eat healthily tells me that he/she uses Smart Balance or any of those health robbing butter substitute “spreads”, I think I’m going to scream. This includes other pseudo-foods like Egg Beaters too.
A loud, obnoxious, ear piercing, wine glass shattering SCREAM!
You see, there is nothing remotely “smart” about Smart Balance unless of course, you happen to be a shareholder of the company. In that case, you would be very happy with the cheap, rancid, genetically modified vegetable oils used to manufacture substitutes for butter resulting in a very low cost of production and handsome profit margins.
Don’t think for one moment that Smart Balance could possibly be made in the comfort of your own kitchen the way lovely yellow butter can easily be churned from cream in a bowl with a hand mixer.
No way! A frankenfood as complex as Smart Balance or any of the many other “spreads” on the market requires synthesis in a factory in all its high tech, food denaturing glory. Smart Balance and margarine spreads like it is chemistry experiments, not food!
Get a load of the catchy marketing on the Smart Balance website:
It’s funny how these margarine manufacturers always talk about “using it” and “loving it” like butter.
Why would people do that anyway?
Mmmm. Maybe because these folks need some healthy fats like REAL butter perhaps??
I know a die-hard vegetarian who once told me that every now and again when she craves a big, thick juicy steak, she gives in and eats one.
Smart gal. Cravings can tell us a lot about ourselves – if we’ll only listen – from the state of our gut as in the case of craving sugar and having a gut imbalance problem to craving a steak due to the complete proteins only animal foods can provide (soy is NOT a complete protein, by the way. Don’t even get me started on that one).
So, when that craving for all things buttery comes over you, it is always best to get some Real Butter and slather it on anything that seems remotely feasible at the moment.
A vegan community in South Florida suffering from severe dental decay issues likes to eat raw butter straight out of the tub with a spoon, I’m told. Now, that’s a serious craving for the “buttery taste”!
What Exactly is in Smart Balance?
Let’s take a look at the ingredients in Stupid, er – I mean, Smart Balance:
When this post was originally published, here were the ingredients in Smart Balance (original):
Natural oil blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola, and olive oils), water, contains less than 2% of whey (from milk), salt, natural and artificial flavor, vegetable monoglycerides and sorbitan ester of fatty acids (emulsifiers), soy lecithin, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, Vitamin D, dl-a-tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), lactic acid, beta carotene color, and potassium sorbate, and calcium disodium EDTA (to preserve freshness).
Ingredients Analysis
Shall we analyze this rather long list of ingestibles?
- The soybean and canola oils are almost certainly genetically modified. Frankenfood at its finest!
- The olive oil isn’t even extra virgin olive oil and is likely cut with cheap vegetable oils like most olive oil on the market. Can we say cheap, cheap, CHEAP?
- Natural and artificial flavor – this must be where that “buttery taste you crave” part comes in. Excellent stuff if you dig tricking your taste buds (newsflash, you won’t trick your tummy though. At least not for long. You’ll be craving that “buttery taste” soon after and more than likely sticking your head in a big bowl of ice cream by 9 pm).
- Soy lecithin – yet another genetically modified ingredient.
- Vitamin A palmitate – the synthetic form of vitamin A – the kind that is dangerous. Since there’s not much natural about Smart Balance in the first place, “fortification” with synthetic vitamins seems logical!
- Vitamin D – the label doesn’t even specify what type, but I can pretty much guarantee it’s synthetic D2, which won’t help at all in avoiding vitamin D deficiency symptoms. Is this the wondrous, natural vitamin D3 everyone – even Oprah – raves about? Brilliant marketing and wishful thinking don’t make it so.
- Beta carotene color – the normal color for factory-produced margarine like Smart Balance is a very unappetizing grey, so the color is definitely needed here to fool the masses. Don’t be fooled that this beta carotene adds natural Vitamin A either. Beta carotene is not true vitamin A!
- Potassium sorbate – a supposedly safe food preservative that inhibits microbial growth. Safe at least until they find it isn’t. Three cheers for being a guinea pig!
- Calcium disodium EDTA – an organic pollutant which breaks down in the environment into ethylenediamine triacetic acid and then diketopiperazine. Diketopiperazine is a persistent organic pollutant, similar to PCBs and DDT. Not only does Smart Balance pollute the bodies of those who eat it, but it also pollutes the environment too!
Smart Balance 7 Years Later
Let’s analyze the ingredients again 7 years later. Smart Balance has, in the interim, gotten significant press on its “pledge” to remove GMOs from its ingredients. Has it happened yet? Apparently not. Don’t hold your breath on that one. Not much improvement here despite an outcry from consumers to do better.
- Vegetable oil blend (canola, olive, and palm oil)
- Water
- Contains less than 2% salt
- Pea protein
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Sunflower lecithin
- Vitamin A Palmitate
- Beta-carotene (color)
- Vitamin D
- Monoglycerides of vegetable fatty acids (emulsifier)
- Potassium Sorbate
- Lactic acid
- Calcium Disodium EDTA
Let’s analyze the (few) changes.
Little Improvement in Smart Balance Ingredients
First, the GMO soybean oil has been removed. While this is a positive, unfortunately, GMO canola oil is still in there as the primary vegetable oil.
Second, pea protein has replaced the whey protein from before. This is apparently an effort to make Smart Balance dairy-free. Is pea protein any healthier than whey protein? Unfortunately not. All protein powders are highly processed and not a healthy choice.
The GMO soy lecithin has been replaced with sunflower lecithin. This is a solid improvement and a step in the right direction.
Two new ingredients include lactic acid and monoglycerides of vegetable fatty acids. While lactic acid is not really a problem, it could be from a GMO source. The originating food for lactic acid is not specified. Similarly, the vegetable oil that is used to derive the emulsifying fatty acids is not specified. In those situations, I’ve learned to pretty much assume the worst … they are most likely of GMO origin. If they were nonGMO you can be sure Smart Balance would trumpet as much on the label like they have identified the source of the lecithin as nonGMO sunflower.
Everything else appears to be the same.
All in all, Smart Balance has improved from a grade of “F” to a “D-” in seven years. Is it healthy to use? Nope. It’s still frankenfood and not a good choice for those who understand the critical importance of natural, healthy fats in the diet.
Butter is Always Best!
Nothing manufactured in a factory can ever beat the simple, natural, whole nutrition of plain BUTTER and other whole traditional fats. No genetically modified, artificial flavors or organic pollutant preservatives needed. Loads of natural form of vitamins A, D, and E that really will boost your immune system unlike the synthetic versions in margarine spreads like Smart Balance.
Be sure not to buy butter from cows fed genetically modified feed, however, like Kerry Gold is rumored to do.
Grass-fed butter is what you are looking for (quality sources)!
Butterfat is far superior to the rancid, highly processed vegetable oils in Smart Balance. While not hydrogenated, the edible oil processing, called interesterification, is still very much denaturing and is arguably worse for cardiovascular health than transfats.
On the other hand, butter, particularly grass-fed butter, is one of the richest sources of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is the magical X-Factor written about by Dr. Weston A. Price which is known to prevent arterial calcification which is a very strong (if not the strongest) predictor of cardiovascular disease risk, NOT cholesterol levels. Natural cholesterol in the diet supplied in forms such as grass-fed butter and eggs are extremely beneficial to health!
Folks with low cholesterol suffer from heart disease at the same rate as those with high cholesterol. Don’t tell that to the folks in the marketing department at Smart Balance, though. They’re doing really well with that catchy marketing slogan that associates the use of Smart Balance with “healthy” cholesterol levels.
What if You Have a Dairy Allergy?
For those with dairy allergies, natural and truly healthy butter substitute spreads made with unrefined traditional oils are now becoming available. This one is my favorite which blends virgin coconut oil and that anti-oxidant powerhouse, red palm oil without any additives, fillers, GMOs or destructive processing.
Once you get past the marketing hype, it sure seems that the more appropriate name for Smart Balance would be “Stupid Balance”, don’t you think?
References
Interesterification of Vegetable Oils, by Dr. Mary Enig
Whole Health Source, Butter, Margarine, and Heart Disease
This must be an old post…I found a Denver Post article written 3.3.2014 that says Smart Balance decided to convert to non-GMO…perhaps it’s time the original author update her concerns. I am stil interested if we are really opposed to Smart Balance or Earth balance or is it a matter or promoting butter (dairy industry?)
Soy bean oil and rape seed oil (canola) are the most processed and genetically modified oils in the food industry. There is no law that states that the ingredient list on your Smart Balance has to name all of the chemical contaminants used to create those ingredients. The company is deceiving you and you are naive enough to believe it.
I wish that people who are against GMO can define specifically how it hurts your body.
It doesn’t.
GMO changes the genes of organisms to encode for the expression of certain qualities in food that people desire: shelf life, taste, etc.
We’ve been doing this for thousands of years: selectively breeding crops.
Compare a modern ear of corn or a potato with its wild ancestors, and you have a massively genetically modified organism. Heck, your dog is nothing but a genetically modified wolf.
I don’t work for a chemical company or a food conglomerate.
I just wish people were more scientifically educated before they try to form an opinion on a topic they don’t fully understand.
You can’t give yourself a good healthy diet if your thinking is based on falsehoods and weird faddish likes or dislikes, accepted without explanation or reason.
Hybridization is not the same as genetic modification! Wow, folks are really duped about this aren’t they? Here’s an article on some of the major scientific studies showing GMOs are dangerous to health: https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/from-sterility-to-stomach-holes-11-scientific-reasons-why-you-must-avoid-gmos-now/
Thank you for the post. Honestly, the food scientists, just keep getting more sophisticated in their lingo. Interesterification and mono and di glycerdies, new generation trans fat.
Makes me wanna scream too!!! I’ll stick with butter thank you very much.
Discouraging the use of GMO’s is about more than just what it does to your personal health. I boycott GMO’s because multinational corporations have monopolized the corn, soy and canola market in a way that is detrimental to small and large farmers. Small farms because they have industrialized agriculture in such an efficient way that it makes it nearly impossible for a small operation to compete with the insanely massive productions of these monocrop farms. Large farms because said corporations legally bind farmers into contracts that force them to make unnecessary equipment upgrades, they cannot save seeds (a practice that has been done since the dawn of human agriculture) and a whole slew of ridiculous, unnatural practices. Not to mention these corporations control the entire market for these crops so they name the price. It is simply not fair economics.
Boycott GMO’s for fair farming practices, not for your health.
Smart Balance spreads went non-GMO nearly a year ago, but two years after this article was written. I just picked some up today because I need to lower my LDL cholesterol, although I was looking for Benecol. I’d been eating more butter lately, contemplating natural vs. highly processed, and low-carb vs. low-fat, and not really feeling that anyone has the answers (both have good points and bad points), but with my bad cholesterol too high, I’m making diet and exercise changes.
I sympathize toward people here who have sensitivities/allergies to dairy. These sensitivities are not that unusual, because while dairy is natural, it *isn’t* natural for *us* to eat dairy, raw or otherwise, and from what I’ve read, a lot of gastro problems people have could be attributed to dairy issues. I’d rather drink almond milk (I like it both because it has less calories and has long dating — I don’t drink a lot of milk, so that’s ideal for me) than look for raw milk, even if I trusted raw milk, which I don’t (although I don’t consume non-pasturized milk, I have frequently purchased non-homogenized milk from an area dairy).
Sorry if it sounds loke I’m addressing you on the part where I’m stating about the other site
addressing the person who commented on lowering carb and taken it easy on the oils
many commenter on there didn’t explain anything They said
I couldn’t send this message to the poor guy silly website
but it shows where I feel I’ve had my final straw on all the bombarbed info that keeps popping up over the place that contradicts everything I knew about this diet plan
and now good fat is another one added into the mix of confusion
if anyone knows any proof or info to help me out or support my confusions and fears I would like to know more
coz I’m feeling alone lost and confused on everything.
there’s only so much one can take
one thing I know is I sure feel better than I did when loaded my self with grains or carbs
Many diseases are caused by bad diet. Therefore, a balanced diet is a good start. I am a Type II diabetic and a balanced diet seems more important to me.
If someone has an allergy or sensitivity to real grass-fed butter, then, in my opinion, the next best thing is organic coconut oil for stir-frys, grilling, stove-top cooking… etc.
Organic coconut butter (or manna) is fantastic for baking.
Coconut is pretty amazing…you can also find organic coconut flour and sugar too. (The coconut sugar is low-glycemic, but if someone has a bacterial imbalance, it might still be good to avoid sugar altogether)
YES! Excellent! This drives me crazy as well.
You did a perfect break-down of ALL the things wrong with these butter substitutes…..we should question ALL substitutes of everything….since the ORIGINAL is usually the best.
Canola oil could not be more toxic….it’s one of the biggest health scams of the “natural” food industry.
Grass-fed butter was the ONLY thing that stopped my hair-loss….and I had spent over $20,000 in therapies, supplements, and different food plans before I began my LOVE OF BUTTER!
Whoo-hoo….keep spreading this greatly needed TRUTH. Bravo to you! xo
This article is pretty good but it does not take into account those people, like me, who are allergic to dairy. Smart Balance is one of the only things I can use that is dairy free and still allows me the opportunity to swap it out in recipes. It is the closes taste I can get to real butter. I agree that real butter is best (and boy do I miss it) but for me, this is a pretty good substitute. If you are using it for health only, yeah, real is always best. But for those with a dietary restriction against dairy, you do what you can.
I’m assuming that when you say you’re allergic to dairy here that you’re referring to butter specifically. People who have an allergy or intolerance to butter is usually because it’s pasteurized, which all butter on the shelves of stores is, unless it specifically says it’s “raw” on the package. People don’t have a problem with raw (i.e., non-pasteurized) butter. Pasteurized means it’s cooked, heated to very high temperatures. Raw butter (and raw dairy in general) costs more but is way healthier than all the cooked/pasteurized products like pasteurized butter, margarines, vegetable oils, and all the other butter substitutes. It can be difficult to find raw dairy in some states. Google it and you’ll find it. Good luck.
It friends in the severity of the allergy. I have a dairy allergy and I can’t have any products made with or from milk, regardless of how it is prepared. When I was younger (and my allergy was mild) I was able to tolerate small amounts of raw milk, yogurt, and butter. As I have gotten older my allergy as become severe, I can’t tolerate even trace amounts without having trouble breathing.
You can use ghee. It’s been stripped of the dairy element and is left with just fragrant oil.
Either that or you could use coconut oil.
But please, use something that comes from nature. Smart Balance ain’t it.
I am SEVERELY lactose intolerant and cannot eat ANY cows milk products – be it cheese, yogurt, milk, or butter. Up until now I’ve used smart balance, but I want to find something else that is practical AND healthy. I can tolerate goats milk and yogurt and I’ve tried to find goats milk butter but I haven’t been able to find it – the brand of goats milk I buy is meyenburg. Does anyone have any suggestions – I want to change so bad but don’t know what I can substitute for smart balance ? Help please I need something I can cook with. Also, I cannot use coconut oil in cooking bc another family member is allergic.
Try Goats milk butter .Found at smiths or Fred Meyer stores tastes great .you can also buy it at the meyenburg web site
Cold or mechanically pressed palm oil has been the oil of choice, along with olive oil (and butter), since biblical days. The widespread consumption of polyunsaturated vegetable oils, in contrast, is a 20th Century phenomenon. It is no coincidence that the epidemic of epidemic, chronic degenerative diseases coincides with it. The biochemistry behind the connection is apparent enough. Oxidants like xanthine oxidase from homogenized milk “ignite” or inflame cell membranes nourished on poly oils, including margarines and Smart Balance. Inflmmation is the start of chronic illness. Consuming quality saturated fats in butter and palm oil prevents and even remedies chronic illnesses. The advice of the AHA for the past 70 years to consume poly oils has been costly.
I just got my allegy blood work results back this week. Many foods came back “in the red” as those that my body is rejecting, causing me inflammatory problems and pain. Among the worst are dairy, Eggs , casein, cow and goat milk, and more… Baker’s yeast being the worst, with eggs being a close second. I will be looking for a good substitute for dairy, as I have always been an organic milk, along with butter, etc consumer. I suppose there ARE times when some foods just aren’t agreeing with our systems, and am happy there are alternatives for me to choose from in the health food grocery stores.The average grocery store does not carry breads without yeast, a good selection of non dairy cheeses and butters, etc. I will consider the Ghee. I’m also allergic to coconut, so will have to eliminate that oil for 3 months at least. It is a challenge, but am trying to re-invent my eating habits.
Hey. I know this is an old post. But maybe you’d be able to answer my question as I can’t seem to find the answer.
What is the deal with palm shortening? (Organic of course)
Is that a terrible oil? I’ve used it in place of butter for mashed potatoes and some frostings (as I can’t always make dairy).
Anything to answer this would be appreciate