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Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Health
- Business Insider
I tried 4 brands of buttery spread from the store, and there's only one I'd buy again
I tried four different brands of buttery spread from the grocery store to see which I liked best. I didn't think Smart Balance or Earth Balance were very spreadable or particularly impressive. Country Crock was my favorite spread, and it was easy to work with. I grew up on "buttery spreads," butter alternatives typically made with some blend of vegetable oils. We put them on everything from bread and mashed potatoes to corn on the cob. As I've grown up, I've started using real butter for its rich flavor and creamy texture. I keep some in a covered dish on the counter for a spreadable option and some in the fridge for whenever I need it chilled. I figured all buttery spreads tasted the same, but I decided to revisit my childhood and try four different brands to see if there are any standouts worth keeping in my fridge. Since each container retails for just over $3 at Walmart, I didn't factor price into my review. Country Crock had the lowest percentage of vegetable oil. I bought a 15-ounce tub of Country Crock, which is the brand we always kept in the house when I was a kid. The label emphasized that it was churned in Kansas and contains "farm-grown ingredients." It also had the lowest amount of vegetable oil of the brands I tried, at 40%. Its oil blend consists of soybean, palm-kernel, and palm oils. It was incredibly easy to spread, but needed a little more salt for flavor. I noticed right away that Country Crock's butter alternative was easy to spread, even when chilled. The texture was smooth, and it didn't tear the soft bread at all when I spread it. I tasted it both plain and on the bread. Although it tasted similar to butter, I think it could've used some more salt for a better flavor — it was a little bit bland. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter has an AHA seal of approval. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter's spread has an American Heart Association certification label because it's made with soybean oil (an unsaturated fat) and has about 70% less saturated fat than regular butter. Aside from the AHA certification, the label also noted that it's rich in omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and contains 45% vegetable oil (a blend of soybean, palm, and palm-kernel oils). I could believe this wasn't butter, but the flavor was still good. The texture of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter was very smooth and almost as easy to spread as Country Crock. As for the flavor, this didn't have me fooled into thinking I was eating real butter. But it wasn't bad by any means. It definitely had an earthy, vegetable-oil taste, but it wasn't bland, and it thankfully didn't have an oily texture. Earth Balance had the highest percentage of vegetable oils. Earth Balance's spread was highly distinguishable from the others. The label also noted it's non-GMO, dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan. It contains 78% vegetable oils, the highest of any I tried, including a blend of palm, canola, soybean, flax, and olive oils. After opening the tub, I noticed right away that this spread was the darkest in color and looked more solid than the other products. The Earth Balance spread didn't have a lot of flavor, and it was incredibly challenging to spread. I found it really difficult to spread Earth Balance, maybe because of the high vegetable-oil content. Although some of the other spreads were smooth and spreadable even when chilled, this remained pretty solid even after it came to room temperature. The flavor was fine. It had both a slight buttery taste and an earthiness from all of the oils, but overall it was pretty bland. Still, as the only vegan product I tried (some of the other spreads contain vitamin D that can be sourced from lanolin, which can come from sheep wool), it's a decent alternative to real butter. Smart Balance notes health benefits on the label. This product was really difficult to spread. It wasn't dark beige like Earth Balance, but Smart Balance's butter alternative was similarly difficult to spread. When I tried putting it on bread, it started tearing up the piece. It also came out of the container in solid chunks. It softened up somewhat as it came to room temperature, and the label at least warned that it would be "firm out of refrigeration." But I think the perk of a buttery spread is that it can be used right out of the chilled container, unlike waiting for real butter to soften. In terms of flavor, Smart Balance had a great butter-like taste at first. But then, as it melted in my mouth, it left an aftertaste I didn't love. Country Crock was my favorite, but I still plan to stick to traditional butter. Of the four buttery spreads I tried, Country Crock was my favorite. It was the easiest to spread — which is the whole point, in my opinion. It wasn't the most flavorful, but none of the spreads were really rich in flavor. I thought the flavor of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter was pretty good, but it wasn't quite as easy to spread. I'd probably skip Smart Balance and Earth Balance because of their higher cost and more solid texture. All in all, I still plan to stick to using traditional butter. But I'd buy Country Crock again if I needed a quick, convenient butter-like spread. This story was originally published on January 4, 2023, and most recently updated on June 3, 2025.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medicaid on a spit after Republicans' budget bill passes House by single vote
The Trump administration's budget reconciliation bill has passed the US House of Representatives by a wafer-thin single-vote majority. Passing the House by 215-214 votes and now set for a vote in the US Senate, observers warn that the bill, which the White House estimates will save the government around $900bn over the next decade, will have a profound impact on the US's Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programmes. The bill outlines changes to Medicaid, including new work requirements for claimants. Critics have warned that such changes could inadvertently kick qualified candidates off the programme due to increased administrative hurdles such as stricter eligibility checks and a ban on using Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for minors. Analysing policy options previously touted by Republicans to reduce Medicaid funding following the bill's release on 11 May, non-partisan think tank the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that it could cut the number of people eligible for coverage by around 8.6 million over the next decade and result in up to 13.7 million Americans losing their health insurance by 2034. Calling the Medicaid and health insurance marketplace provisions currently included in the bill 'harmful', American Hospital Association (AHA) president and CEO Rick Pollack said the 'sheer magnitude' of the level of reductions to the Medicaid programme alone will 'impact all patients, not just Medicaid beneficiaries, in every community across the nation'. 'Hospitals – especially in rural and underserved areas – will be forced to make difficult decisions about whether they will have to reduce services, reduce staff and potentially consider closing their doors,' Pollack said. 'Other impacts could include longer waiting times to receive care, more crowded emergency departments, and hospitals not being able to invest in technology and innovations for clinical care.' The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asserts that the bill will also have a disproportionate impact on healthcare for individuals with disabilities and block access to reproductive healthcare. ACLU's chief political and advocacy officer Deirdre Schifeling said: 'The bill asks poor and disabled Americans to pay more for medical care and imposes burdensome work requirements and bureaucratic paperwork designed to exclude people from the coverage they need. 'Let's call this what it is: taking Medicaid away from sick people and low-income families in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires and turbocharge deporting immigrants who have lived, worked, and raised their families here for years. 'The Senate must do its job, represent their constituents, and reject this upside-down world bill." Following the vote in the House, President Trump took to his social media network, Truth Social, writing: 'THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' has PASSED the House of Representatives! 'This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!' "Medicaid on a spit after Republicans' budget bill passes House by single vote" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
CNBC
21-05-2025
- Health
- CNBC
Heart attacks on the job are rising and often fatal. Workers and employers are not prepared for the risk
In January 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's shocking collapse during an NFL Monday Night Football game due to cardiac arrest placed a high-profile spotlight on a concerning, and growing, statistic: each year, more than 10,000 people suffer from cardiac arrests in U.S. workplaces. But unlike Hamlin, whose unique workplace allowed him to receive immediate treatment from NFL and team medical professionals who administered CPR and used an automated external defibrillator to revive him before he was transported to a nearby hospital, many other workplaces across the U.S. are not prepared to address cardiac arrest so easily, nor are the workers themselves. In fact, recent data from the American Heart Association found that seven in 10 Americans say they feel powerless to act during a cardiac emergency. That statistic is exacerbated by the chilling stats that surround cardiac arrests that are not immediately addressed: 90% of nearly 350,000 instances of cardiac arrests each year outside of a hospital are fatal, and every minute that someone who suffers cardiac arrest does not receive CPR, their chance of survival drops by 10%. In the wake of Hamlin's cardiac arrest and subsequent recovery that saw him return to NFL action the following season, the American Heart Association has worked with him to increase those survivability rates, especially on fields and during other sporting events. There has been progress: earlier this year, AHA reported an increase from 33% to 39% in "bystander confidence" to perform CPR since Hamlin's story, and subsequent efforts by the AHA and others to increase awareness. Now, AHA says 17.7 million more Americans feel they have the knowledge and training to act in a lifesaving emergency. AHA says there is more progress to be made, and it has teamed up with payroll giant ADP to increase the numbers on cardiac emergency readiness inside traditional corporate workplaces. "Everyone can be a lifesaver; this is a superpower that everyone should know," Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, said at the CNBC CEO Council Summit in Arizona on Tuesday. ADP has a unique position to help spread that message among workers, with roughly one-in-six American workers using the company's technology in the workplace. Maria Black, the CEO of ADP, said that after hearing the stats around cardiac arrest in the workplace from Brown and the AHA, she felt there was something she and ADP could do about that, not only in her own company but for its clients. Working alongside AHA, ADP now offers hands-only CPR education directly through its mobile app, which Black said is already used by upwards of 14 million workers monthly to check their pay as well as access HR and payroll tools. That education includes a playbook and a toolkit about CPR. "The way I think about it is if it changes just one life, and candidly I hope it never happens, but if it does whether that's at a worksite or it's in somebody's personal life, I think that's incredible," Black said. Brown shared an example of just how impactful that knowledge can be: In 2023, the AHA helped facilitate CPR and AED training for all of the NFL teams and their management. Just several days after that training, then Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was on vacation with his family in Las Vegas when he saw a young boy drowning in a hotel pool. When the boy was taken out of the pool, he had no pulse. Morris, thanks to his training, was able to assist a lifeguard and a doctor who was also at the pool to save the child's life. "There isn't fast enough action to save someone," Brown said.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The Ordinary's $8 glycolic acid ‘transformed my skin' after just one month
Glycolic acid is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) that sloughs away the outermost layer of skin to help with brighter skin and smoother texture. It tends to work well with other skincare products, making it great to add to your routine without causing too much disruption. That being said, be wary of using it at the same time as retinol and always wear SPF the next day because AHA can make skin more sensitive and vulnerable in the sun — even in winter. The Ordinary is known for its simple approach to ingredients, with the majority of its products focussing on one skincare ingredient, which makes controlling what goes on to your skin that much easier, especially if, like me, your skin is at all sensitive. Having expanded into other areas, including hair and body, launching products for lash and brow growth, anti-aging growth factor serums, exfoliating cleansers, and scalp moisturizing serums, there's no denying that its skincare is still the jewel in the crown. Famous for its affordability, with most of its products coming in at less than $20, The Ordinary's glycolic acid costs $8, which is pretty cheap. How I tested I love skincare, so I was excited to give this toner a go, especially because I'm normally quite hesitant when it comes to acid thanks to my somewhat sensitive skin. I'm not too blemish-prone but I suffer from hormonal breakouts and dull-looking skin, so I added the glycolic acid toner into my evening skincare routine three times a week after cleansing and before moisturizing. When testing, I considered how the formula felt on my skin, considering if it was drying, and whether there was any reaction. Keep reading to find out what I thought.
Medical News Today
20-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Heart attack: More sleep, exercise, less sitting can help lower risk
Written by Corrie Pelc on May 20, 2025 — Fact checked by Kevin Cyr, MD To prevent a second heart attack, replace 30 minutes' sitting time with exercise, a new study suggests. Image credit: Maskot/Getty Images. About one in five people who have experienced a heart attack will have another within 5 years. Heart attack survivors are also at an increased risk for other cardiovascular issues, such as heart failure, which can be lowered through lifestyle changes like exercising more. A new study says people who are too sedentary after experiencing a heart attack are at a higher risk of having another one or another cardiovascular event. Researchers report the risk of a secondary cardiovascular event can be lowered by replacing 30 minutes of sedentary behavior with light-intensity or moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, or sleep. 'The risks for heart attack survivors are still substantial,' Keith Diaz, PhD, the Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, a certified exercise physiologist, a volunteer member of the AHA's Physical Activity Science Committee, and lead author of a new study told Medical News Today . 'Even those survivors who receive the most advanced treatments and medications still have significant risk. That's why it's urgent to find additional ways to reduce this risk,' Diaz explained. Adding to this list is a new study recently published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes — for which Diaz is the lead author — which reports that people who are too sedentary after experiencing a heart attack are at a higher risk of having another one or another cardiovascular event. However, they can lower their risk of a secondary cardiovascular event by replacing 30 minutes of sedentary behavior with light-intensity or moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity, or sleep. For this study, researchers recruited more than 600 adults between the ages of 21 to 96 who had been treated at a hospital for a heart attack or chest pain. Study participants were asked to wear a wrist accelerometer for an average of 30 consecutive days after leaving the hospital to measure how much time they spent sedentary vs moving. 'In our previous research, we noticed that a number of heart attack survivors were quite fearful of exercise,' Diaz said. 'Many of the bodily sensations of intense exercise can remind survivors of their heart attack, causing them to fear and avoid it. As a result, we were finding that many survivors were extremely sedentary, spending over 13 hours a day sitting.' 'Given all that has been learned from research on the health hazards of sitting, we were concerned that heart attack survivors were unknowingly increasing their risk of having another event,' he continued. 'That's why we decided to investigate the link between sedentary behavior and secondary heart attack risk.' At the study's conclusion, Diaz and his team found that study participants who spent an average of more than 14 hours a day being sedentary more than doubled their chances of having another cardiac event or to be hospitalized again within a year after their first cardiac event. 'This finding highlights that sedentary behavior is a toxic, harmful behavior which can impact recovery and future health risk after a heart event,' he explained. 'A big misconception among both patients and physicians is that sedentary behavior doesn't matter as long as you are getting your exercise in. Many people focus solely on meeting exercise recommendations, treating it like a checkbox. 'I got my 30 minutes in, so I'm good and don't need to move [for] the rest of the day.' But exercise is just the tip of the iceberg. It only accounts for [approximately] 2% of the day for those who actually do it.' – Keith Diaz, PhD 'Our study found that patients who spent more time sitting after a heart event had a higher risk of cardiac events and death within a year, irrespective of exercise levels,' Diaz added. 'In other words, even if you're exercising, long periods of sitting can still pose a serious health risk. Reducing sedentary time throughout the day is really important for optimal recovery after a heart event,' he emphasized. On the flip side, researchers discovered that participants who replaced 30 minutes of sedentary behavior with light-intensity physical activity daily lowered their secondary heart event or death risk by 50%. Furthermore, substituting 30 minutes of sitting with moderate to vigorous activity every day cut their risk by 61%. 'The large reduction in risk from replacing sedentary time with light-intensity activity really underscores an important public health message: doing something is better than doing nothing,' Diaz said. 'Movement itself, regardless of intensity, can be beneficial after hospitalization. This is especially relevant for people recovering from a heart event who may find moderate or vigorous activity difficult or scary,' he added. 'While exercise still provides the best 'bang for your buck' in terms of the greatest health benefits, our findings are good news for people who may not have the time, ability or desire to exercise,' he continued. 'The road to a healthy lifestyle after a heart event is more accessible and achievable than we thought and is not just for gym regulars.' Diaz and his team also found that if participants replaced 30 minutes of sedentary time with an extra 30 minutes of sleep, they slashed their secondary cardiac event risk by 14%. 'Sleep is healthier than sitting,' Diaz explained. 'It's a restorative behavior that helps the body and mind recover which is especially important after a serious health event like a heart attack. Many patients struggle to find time or feel too intimidated to engage in intense physical activity.' 'Our findings offer an encouraging message,' he added. 'Even getting an extra half hour of sleep, rather than spending that time sitting on your phone or watching one more episode on Netflix, can support recovery and reduce risk. For all the couch potatoes out there, this is a small, doable step that can still make a meaningful difference for your health.' MNT also had the opportunity to speak with Christopher Berg, MD, a board certified cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, about this study, who commented that the results are concerning, but not all that surprising. 'We've long known that too much sitting is bad for cardiovascular health,' Berg, who was not involved in this study, explained. 'But this research adds an important layer: It's not just how much time patients are sedentary — it's also how that time is accumulated. Long, uninterrupted periods of inactivity appear particularly harmful.' 'What really stood out to me was the authors' statistical approach that suggested that even replacing 30 minutes of sedentary time with light activity, moderate exercise, or even sleep was associated with a lower risk of heart events and death,' he continued. 'That's a powerful message that I'll be using in [the] clinic to encourage patients to stay active.' 'Still, it's important to be cautious with these results,' Berg added. 'This was an observational study, so we can't say for sure that [more] sedentary behavior caused the bad outcomes. People in the most sedentary group were generally older and had more health problems, which may have contributed to their risk. That said, the message is still a good one: if you've had a heart attack — or even just a scare — staying active in some form is likely beneficial.' Heart Disease Cardiovascular / Cardiology Sports Medicine / Fitness
