What Are Trans Fats
What are trans fats or trans fatty acids? It is a processed fat, not a good fat, and one your body cannot recognise.
Many of us don’t know what the dangers of trans fats can have on our health. This kind of information is usually wasted on the consumer.
Trans fat and health is still something we need to know more about, especially when it comes to choosing what items to buy.
This type of fat does not occur naturally, so the question remains, what is our long term exposure to this fat?
Scientific evidence now shows that it can lead to many degenerative diseases, which is a deterioration of organs and cells, and the quickest way to wrinkles.
It is considered by some doctors, to be the worst type of fat of them all.
It begins with the manufacturers wanting a solid fat, one that can give food products a long shelf life, and will not go rancid.
Vegetable oil is put through a process called hydrogenation, which makes the oil more solid and less likely to spoil, and allowing foods to stay fresher for longer.
In the beginning, trans fat and health was considered to be a good thing, and healthier for you than animal fats. This process began about 20 years ago.
The vegetable oil is heated to extreme high temperatures, and platinum, rhodium or nickel is added. Hydrogen (gas) is then added through the liquid. The mixture is filtered removing any metal, and this is hydrogenated vegetable oil.
When you see ‘hydrogenated’ or ‘partially hydrogenated’ in the ingredients this actually means trans fats.
You will find it in some margarine’s, cookies, snack foods, cakes, crackers, doughnuts, french fries, peanut butter, lollies, and fried chicken. I mean, when you think about it, its ridiculous that some things can sit in the kitchen pantry for months, before being used. This is so unnatural.
If you are going to buy processed foods, try to purchase the low fat brands.
Literally, your body does not know what are trans fats, they may help preserve food so that it tastes good, but our bodies certainly don’t need to be preserved from the inside! The poor old body, which already puts up with so much, then has to contend with trans fat building up in it, and causing all sorts of health problems.
Dangers Of Trans Fat
- will clog up your arteries
- increase the risk for heart disease
- give you cancer
- cause infertility
- create diabetes
- increase inflammation
- make you fat
- promote heart disease and high cholesterol
- sudden cardiac death if your body has this type of fat in excess.
If you are suffering from one of the above health problems, try changing your diet, in fact, change your diet anyway. Unless you have a sudden cardiac death, then it will probably be too late. Otherwise, eat more vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and youghurt.
What are trans fats, and their effect on your health should be a flashing warning sign on all products containing it.
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October 11th, 2009 at
Information really helpful. I’m actually writing a research paper on the topic. It’s really eye opening, all of the risks that are possible by just taking in trans fat.
August 17th, 2011 at
Greatest health risk of trans fats is that these are deadly for cardiovascular system. As these can clog arteries and thrombus and embolus can lead to sudden death via myocardial infarction.
November 6th, 2011 at
Trans fats can really harm people. It will increase the risk of coronary heart disease and may cause obesity, metabolic disorders, and diabetes.
November 27th, 2011 at
Trans fat are not good in our body. It raise low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol levels. This contributes to the buildup of fatty plaque in arteries.