KD wrote
>Is butter really any more heart-smart than hydrogenated oils such as
>shortening?
>Thanks!
>Kd

Shortening contains 15-25% hardened vegetable fat( primarily the
stearin and palmitin triglyceride fraction) . But it contains 50-65%
vegetable oil mostly the triolein fraction .The rest are incorporated
either air or nitrogen to confer the aerated shortening texture.

Butter contains 80% more of the saturated fat dispersed in its own
mixed triglycerides but mostly also of the palmitin and stearin
combination with other fatty acids..Not much air is incorporated also.

If you are watching for saturates butter is likely to contain more
than vegetable shortening. But if you are watching for trans
fats....vegetable shortening is notorious for its elaidin fraction
which is connected to cardiovascular disease

With butter it also contains its own share of transfats...IIRC in form
of conjugated linoleic acids ( CLA) which is found to be harmless( as
there is no evidence yet to prove otherwise...

So you have the facts... I leave it to you to decide< grin> which makes
a better bran muffn healthwise....butter or vegetable shortening..