Description and origin of trans fats, their health hazards. List of dairy, fast food, baked goods, and oils with this ingredient. Trans fats are a popular supplement in the food industry that almost no product can do without. Its use is unambiguously beneficial to manufacturers, but to buyers it is only to the detriment. This ingredient is one of the most harmful, and therefore, going to the store, you need to know where it "hides" - what you can and cannot buy.
What are trans fats in food
Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat that can be classified as natural or artificial. The former are found in animal products, while the latter are formed as a result of the hydrogenation of liquid vegetable oils. This concept hides their refining at high temperatures and combining with hydrogen. After that, the resulting mass is deodorized with its further purification. Despite the two-stage preparation, the final product still retains some of the harmful substances, among which trans isomers are in the lead. The method of obtaining vegetable fat was proposed in 1897 by a French chemist Paul Sabatier. A little later, his colleague from Germany, Wilhelm Normann, successfully solidified a liquid product for the first time. The purpose of this experiment was to find cheaper ingredients for margarine production.
An important step was the fact that since then, chefs have been able to repeatedly use the resulting fat when frying, unlike ordinary oil. Thanks to this discovery, the shelf life of the products has also increased. The company "Procter and Gamble" did not fail to take advantage of this, which in 1911 put on the market a vegetable analogue of animal fat. Mass production of trans fats began during World War II. By the way, it is on their use that recipes for most of the "dishes" in fast foods are based. The popularity of this dietary supplement gained momentum until 1993, until the first article on its harm to the human cardiovascular system was published. Since that time, massive studies of trans isomers have begun, proving that they do have a negative effect on health.
The use of this food additive is restricted in the United States and Europe. According to the law, its composition should be no more than 5%. Moreover, since 2006, the manufacturer is obliged to mention the presence of this ingredient on the package. It even got to the point that California restaurants banned its use in 2010. Those who do not follow this will face a hefty fine. In Eastern Europe, this is still very difficult.
Trans fats are often listed as hydrogenated oil, cooking, deep-frying, combined or vegetable fat. The label "margarine" is also common. This is typical for cookies, waffles, gingerbread, various rolls and puffs. Important! McDonald's fries contain about 36% trans fat.
Why trans fats are dangerous
Numerous studies have shown that eating foods with trans fats has a negative effect on all human systems and organs. They harm the heart, blood vessels, stomach, intestines, liver. Also, their impact is enormous on male and female sexual health. It is one of the most dangerous nutritional supplements, and is considered by WHO as the real "killer". Below we have detailed what those who consume trans fats are exposed to:
- Metabolic disease … A person's intestines are "clogged", the work of the stomach slows down, the process of digesting food is disrupted, and problems with stool appear. All this is accompanied by heaviness in the stomach, heartburn, nausea, and general weakness.
- Obesity … Weight gain is dictated by the fact that foods with trans fats are very high in calories, and therefore quickly recover from them. All this serves as provoking factors for the development of diabetes mellitus and hypertension.
- Neoplasms … It has been proven that these fats inhibit the activity of healthy cells, which are supposed to destroy malignant ones. Against this background, the tumor grows most often in the stomach or intestines. It is equally important here that they pollute the body, leading to its intoxication. This accelerates the growth of neoplasms.
- Deteriorating male health … Trans fats lower testosterone levels, slow down its synthesis and lower sperm quality, and reduce the chances of conceiving a child. Also, their use entails the birth of children with underweight.
- Weakening of the immune system … In this case, the harm to the body of trans fats is manifested in the fact that the number of healthy cells is sharply reduced and the process of their renewal slows down. The reason for this may also be the violation of the absorption of nutrients, among which the most important are iron, ascorbic and folic acid. As a result, the risk of developing viral and infectious diseases is significantly increased.
- Heart and vascular problems … Fans of store-bought cookies and other products with hydrogenated fat should be wary of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and thrombosis.
- Decreased resistance to stress … Trans fats lead to a weakening of the body's defenses, a deterioration in mood and appetite, and apathy. After eating food with their content, it takes several hours to digest it.
- Gastritis … The oils that have undergone hydrogenation irritate the walls of the stomach and contribute to the appearance of ulcers on them, which, over time, can turn into an ulcer. Products with them are very heavy and difficult to digest.
Breastfeeding mothers need to be prepared for the fact that their milk quality will probably deteriorate. This can lead to allergies in the child and slow weight gain.
List of foods that contain trans fats
Do not think that refined oils are the only culprits for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other health problems - all foods with trans fats are also harmful. These include milk, semi-finished products and instant food, some types of fish and oils, almost all sweets.
What baked goods contain trans fats
These unsaturated fats are actively added to almost all cookies. Thanks to them, it becomes softer and more tasty, retains its presentation and freshness longer. Often these substances can be seen in crackers, gingerbread, various pastries and cakes. The manufacturer usually does not directly indicate their content in a product, labeling this ingredient as margarine or hydrogenated fats. Donuts are the leader in the content of this additive, as they are fried in vegetable oil at a high temperature. Not far from them pies, pancakes, pancakes have gone. Various waffles, shop pies, cakes, rolls are also dangerous. It is especially worth highlighting products made from puff pastry, since margarine is always used for its preparation.
Which dairy products contain trans fats
Homemade products are not harmful to humans if consumed in moderation. And a completely different matter - store-bought pasteurized milk, kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese. Very often, margarine or palm oil is added to the composition to improve the taste of the latter. The content of trans fats in them is at the level of 5%, while the permissible norm according to WHO is 1-2%. Manufacturers do not neglect this additive even in the production of glazed curd cheeses, including for children, and ice cream. The packaging of these products almost always says that the composition contains mono- and triglycerides, lecithin. In fact, they are also trans fats that have a negative impact on health. Since these substances are formed not only as a result of the processing of vegetable oils, they are also present in small quantities in cheese, cream, condensed milk.
Which fast food and convenience foods contain trans fats
This is the most dangerous food that can be. In the process of its preparation, various artificial fatty acids and refined oils are involved, which are converted into trans fats during heat treatment. WHO does not recommend all these products for use in cooking and considers them dangerous to humans. By the way, the main consumer of this supplement is fast food establishments, for example, McDonald's.
Here's what exactly it is about:
- French fries … It is dangerous because it is cooked at high temperatures in large quantities of vegetable oil. The situation is aggravated by the fact that most often during the frying process it is not drained, as expected, but used many times.
- Hamburgers, burgers, cheeseburgers … Here, trans fats can be found both in a bun and in a filling (cutlet).
- Crisps … They are cooked a lot like French fries. Only the situation is further complicated by the presence in the composition of various preservatives (sodium glutamate, lecithin, etc.).
- Pancakes … They threaten health because they are fried mainly in refined oils, which are often also added to the dough itself to avoid sticking to the pan.
- Vareniki … Those filled with mashed potatoes are of great danger. The fact is that it is prepared with either refined sunflower oil or margarine.
- Dumplings regardless of the filling … To make the dough soft, it is kneaded on spreads. They are also produced on the basis of hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- Finished puff pastry … Its preparation is not complete without margarine, and therefore it should be excluded from the diet. The same goes for baking from it.
It is impossible not to note the harm of semi-finished products in the form of cutlets, meatballs, food, which must be fried. So beloved by many cereal bars and breakfast cereals are also "not without sin."
What food products contain trans fats from oils
Natural trans fats are found in all unrefined vegetable and animal oils. They are not as harmful as artificial ones, which are formed during the refining and deodorization of the product. This applies to all oils, even olive, but the most dangerous in this regard are sunflower and corn. Palm and coconut oils are not recommended in any form. Their saturated fat content exceeds 60%. A product based on flax, almonds, peanuts should also be used with caution.
List of other foods containing trans fats
In this regard, the sweet tooth was not lucky, because one of the leaders in the number of this killer additive is chocolate, including its derivatives. This can be explained by the fact that manufacturers for the manufacture of this sweet mainly use cocoa butter and fatty acids (lauric and stearic). This allows you to increase the volume of products. You can distinguish real chocolate from its similarity by its bitter taste, dark brown color and high price. Here are some other unhealthy trans fat foods:
- Candy and Bars … Palm oil is often added to them, which occupies at least 5% in the composition. Thanks to him, the sweetness thickens, becomes more tasty and beautiful. The only exceptions are lollipops.
- Mayonnaise … It is better to cook this product yourself, since even the most expensive one sold in stores is a source of hydrogenated acids. The same goes for the various sauces made with it. All of this impairs heart function and contributes to weight gain.
- Ketchup … Trans fats are rare here, but they are sometimes added. They are mainly found in cheap products.
- Popcorn … Manufacturers do not always indicate that these substances are present in the composition. More often than not, they just write "hydrogenated fats" because they make popcorn in a little refined corn oil.
- A fish … Don't buy sardines, sprats, herring and mackerel in brine. They are prepared with a large amount of processed oil.
What are trans fats - watch the video:
We tried to tell you in as much detail as possible what trans fats are and which products contain these substances. Therefore, you should not rely on food manufacturers and trust them with your health. When shopping in the store, carefully study the label with the composition and feel free to remove from the basket everything that contains this dangerous food additive.
