The danger of Trans fats
December 29, 2008
In 2003, a lawyer from San Francisco believed that there should be a ban on Oreo cookies. Therefore, he sued the Kraft Company. He did so because he believed that these cookies were too rich in trans fats and hence, posed a potential threat to people.
The lawsuit was dropped but the issue that it raised can’t be dropped. Some basic facts about trans fats are cleared in this article.
What are trans fats?
There are two types of fats, good ones and the bad ones. Mono and poly unsaturated fats are the good ones keeping the heart healthy whereas the saturated and trans fats are the bad ones.
Trans fats are formed when manufacturers add hydrogen to liquid oil to make it solid. It increases the shelf life of food but decreases our life.
How bad are trans fats?
Dr. Walter Willet, Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health has this say. According to him, every 15 minutes, one person dies because of trans fats. It can’t get worse.
They raise the level of bad cholesterol in our body and also lower the amount of good cholesterol in our body. The body does not know what to do with them and so they are not broken down by the body. As a result, they just stay as they are and end up clogging our arteries. This puts at a major heart risk. As if this were not enough, they are also effective in causing Type 2 diabetes.
They are found in several foods like non-butter spreads, margarine, candies, store cookies, chips and crackers, baked goods like doughnuts, muffins, packaged foods like pancake mixes, cake mixes, frozen French fries, waffles, pre-fried noodles and cup soups, breakfast cereals and energy bars, non-dairy creamers, flavoured coffee, and most fast foods.
How can I protect myself?
There are some precautions that you can take to avoid these into your body.
You should read the food labels carefully to check their presence.
Olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil are all trans fat free and therefore, use them.
You should eat the naturally low fat foods like vegetables, whole grain, fruits and beans.
Choose fish over red meat because they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to fight heart disease.
Soft margarines like Becel are non-hydrogenated.
Bake yourself and avoid commercially baked foods.
Make a smart choice
It is true that trans fats are bad and you can avoid them. However, there is no need to cut out all fats because you do need some fats for your body. Make a smart choice as to what you eat and you will surely enhance your health.
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