Trans Saturated Fats: A Huge Deception and Risk to Your Health
What are trans saturated fats and why are they used? They are either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats that have hydrogen added to them. Why is this done? Simple - when you add hydrogen to oil it stabilizes the fat produced and increases shelf life. So naturally, this results in less spoilage. Trans fat is a relatively new term for what used to be known ashydrogenated fat. Hydrogenated fats are found in most processed foods. How do you know if something contains trans fats? Reading the label is your best bet! What are trans saturated fats and what effect do they have on your health? Health Effects of Trans Fats:Research in humans and animals has shown that foods that are high in trans fats adversely effect your health in a number of different ways. - Increase your risk for heart problems.
- Can increase your total cholesterol level
- Can reduce your HDL cholesterol level (which is the healthy component and thought to be protective against heart issues)
- Can raise your LDL cholesterol level (this is the bad kind of cholesterol that leads to plaque in your arteries)
- Increase blood insulin levels thereby increasing risk for blood sugar issues
- Have a negative effect on immune function
Trans fats have no known health benefits. Due to the long list of negative effects it would be prudent to decrease and even eliminate them from your diet! Sources of Trans Saturated Fats: - cookies
- crackers
- icing
- potato chips
- stick margarine
- microwave popcorn
- fast foods
- instant coffee beverages
Labels are a useful tool that give information about what is found in your food. However, like most things, they have some shortcomings and can sometimes be deceiving. By law, if a product contains less than .5 mg of trans fats the label can say 0 mg. Labels are supposed to be for the benefit of consumers. You must be an educated consumer to make the best choices for your own health. Read the ingredient list and avoid products that have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in them. You'll quickly learn that many processed foods contain them. Not included on this list are naturally occurring whole foods. Rely on these for good health.
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