What Is Hydrogenated Fat?
The report of the WHO Expert Committee highlights the need to significantly reduce or even eliminate hydrogenated fats from industrial food production.
There are many types of fats in foods; some are healthy and some are harmful. Hydrogenated fats are vegetable fats which, in our body, can behave like other fats of animal origin.
These are also the so-called trans fats , which change their composition, appearance and texture. Find out more about this type of fat in this article. Don’t miss it!
What are hydrogenated fats?
Hydrogenated fats , or trans fats , are fats that are produced by a chemical process. These are the ones with the most unfavorable indicators. Indeed, nobody advises them, not even in small quantities.
We could say that we should avoid them as much as possible. Obtained from the hydrogenation of vegetable oils (they go from the unsaturated state to the saturated state with the trans form), they are much more harmful than the saturated fats found in nature.
How do you get trans fats?
This is because trans or hydrogen fats are obtained from a chemical process that has many advantages for manufacturers. Mainly in terms of cost as they are cheaper than other types of fats. Despite this, hydrogenated fats pose a risk to our health.
The food industry introduce hydrogen in certain foods that contain fat in natural form in the liquid state. Like, for example, oils. They use this practice when the food is at very high temperatures so that it does not stop solidifying afterwards.
This keeps food in perfect condition for a longer period of time. They also have a more appetizing appearance and are easier to cook because they are more difficult to spoil during cooking.
What are their effects on our health?
Trans or hydrogenated fats are found in most processed foods. Be aware that consuming just 5g of trans fat per day is already considered dangerous for your health.
Indeed, they are the most harmful fats for health. It is therefore fundamental to avoid or reduce their consumption as much as possible. In addition, they increase the risk of suffering from the following diseases:
- Cardiovascular and arteriosclerosis: hydrogenated fats can raise bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels while lowering good cholesterol levels
- Cancer: they can cause the body to produce hormones and defective cell membranes
- Brain diseases: these fats inhibit the action of essential fatty acids, by delaying the growth and maturation of the brain
- Metabolic diseases and diabetes
In a report, the WHO Expert Committee stresses the need to significantly reduce or even eliminate trans fatty acids from industrial food production.
Consumers are not fully aware of the health effects of high intake of hydrogenated fatty acids. And in particular on cardiovascular health.
Foods and products that contain hydrogenated fats
Hydrogenated fats are inexpensive and have an ideal consistency for making a wide range of products.
In addition, their flavor is very pleasant to the palate and their storage time is longer than that of other types of fats. Find out which foods or products contain these fat, which are also harmful to health:
- Industrial pastries
- Biscuits
- Pre-cooked dishes
- Snacks
- Vegetable margarines
- Candies
- Fast food in general
- Fried foods
How to avoid hydrogenated fats?
To avoid fat, you must first of all avoid processed products. It is therefore preferable to consume fresh products that do not contain this type of fat or other added products.
In case you mainly shop at the supermarket, read the labels carefully before purchasing a processed product. Indeed, it is essential to check that the products in your basket do not contain unhealthy ingredients.
In this category are not only hydrogenated fats, but also sugar or other starches. And if it is specified that the food contains vegetable fats, be sure to know what type it is. Remember: Avoid trans fatty acids and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats.
Finally, if you are used to buying a lot of processed or precooked products, this may seem difficult. However, it is important to change your habits to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
