"Trans fats lead to cancer!" - we hear recently from the media. There is little clarity from this, but a lot of fear. Let's try to figure out what these "sinister" trans fats are, are they really that dangerous, and should we give up our favorite foods because of them?
About fats, their benefits and importance
Fats is a group of complex organic molecules, a compound of glycerol and fatty acids (long hydrocarbon chains). Fats can be saturated (solid at room temperature, usually of animal origin, as well as palm, palm kernel and coconut oils) and unsaturated (at room temperature, liquid, usually vegetable origin). Unsaturated fats are divided into polyunsaturated (sunflower, corn, hemp, pumpkin, linseed, soybean oils) and monounsaturated (olive, high oleic sunflower, rapeseed, peanut, hazelnut oils). Fats are definitely needed by a person. Any cell in the body is surrounded by a cell membrane consisting of fats and phospholipids. The daily diet should be 30% fat in terms of calories. Previously, it was believed that among the consumed per day, fat should be 25% saturated, 25% polyunsaturated and 50% monounsaturated. Now they say that saturated, mono - and polyunsaturated fats should be consumed in approximately equal proportions.
Nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, unrefined vegetable oils, not thermally processed oils (all these are sources of unsaturated fats) are very useful. Fish is incredibly healthy, it contains omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, real butter in moderation.
Where do trans fats come from?
Trans fats are fats containing unsaturated fatty acids in the form of trans isomers. According to a number of experts, the form "trans" ("wrong" arrangement of atoms in the molecule) makes trans fats alien and dangerous for the body, provoking a number of serious diseases, including cancer. Other experts point out that there is no reliable research, and require further study of the problem. They ask you to pay special attention to the fact that there are natural trans fats, which are no different from production ones and are present in meat and milk of ruminants, in natural dairy products, and in animal fats. Milk fat contains about 8%. Trans fats are also found in human milk. On a commercial scale, trans fats are produced by hydrogenation. To solidify liquid vegetable oils, hydrogen is passed through the liquid oil heated to high temperatures in the presence of catalysts. The result is a solid fat mass containing already saturated fats, from which margarines, confectionery and cooking fats are further made. Trans fats are also formed during intense frying (such as deep-fried). Strong heating leads to a change in the molecular chains of fats and the conversion of fats into trans fats, in addition, carcinogens are formed. In this regard, the whole world is now actively discussing the safety of fast food.
(Trans fats are found in many foods, from junk food and sweets to natural milk and meat.)
Expert opinions
Pavel Petrovich Gorbenko, director of the National Institute of Health, naturotherapist, doctor of medical sciences.
Trans fats are absolutely harmful! We need to switch to natural fats that our ancestors ate. There is natural butter, ghee, lard, and ghee from the inner fat of animals. Many people love fried, which we are asked to refuse because of its harmfulness. Few people know that products fried, for example, on lard, absorb 3-4 times less fat than from vegetable oil. In addition, lard, unlike vegetable oils (which cannot be fried on), does not burn during normal frying and does not degenerate into trans fats, since its combustion temperature is higher. Our ancestors never fried in vegetable oil. Do you know why? Previously, there was only unrefined and non-deodorized oil. Have you tried frying on this one? It shoots on fire so that you can stay without eyes.
Ivan Akimovich Shevchenko, Leading Researcher, Federal Center for Heart, Blood and Endocrinology, Doctor of Medicine.
The main group of fats is saturated. There are unsaturated fats. Consumption of saturated fat when healthy eating you need to limit, because these fats contain foods that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Unsaturated fat is essential for most important body processes. If we talk about trans fatty acids, then it is important to consider that we are taking products containing trans fats, and not trans isomers in their pure form. There are different opinions regarding these products, but I believe that they should be considered as a type of fat, that they are not as harmful if consumed strictly in moderation, as many say. The issue requires further in-depth study.
Experts from the All-Russian Research Institute of Fats of the Russian Agricultural Academy.
The question of trans fats and saturated fats is complex, there are no easy solutions. What is the alternative to hydrogenated oils? Palm oil with 50% saturated fat. There are 85% of them in palm kernel oil, and in coconut oil, which our children consume in ice cream and curds, already 92%. By prohibiting trans fats, we increase the proportion of saturated fats, which in excess are no less harmful to humans. In the EU countries, an initiative is being discussed to indicate the percentage of trans isomers and saturated fatty acids on the packaging. Studies are being conducted in 14 EU countries to identify the relationship between trans-isomer and blood lipid intake, but there is still no consensus. 15-20 years ago, a study was conducted in Europe on the health effects of butter and margarine. Extensive research has shown that margarine with trans fats is better than butter, which contains mostly saturated fatty acids. Based on this, the EU recommends reducing the content of saturated fatty acids in foods. In general, talking about the harmfulness of trans fats apart from the danger of excess saturated fat is extremely wrong. It has been found that saturated fatty acids lead to atherosclerosis. You cannot fight solely with trans fats without saturated fats, since trans isomers are also present in natural products. And it would hardly be correct to reduce both to zero. Then you will have to give up butter. It is important to consume all types of fats within the recommended range.
(Strong heating of the oil converts fats to trans fats)
Vladimir Misuryaev, chemical technologist.
Conditionally fatty acids can be represented in the form of beads, where carbon atoms are pearls, and the thread connecting them is a chemical bond “carbon-carbon”. A "string" can connect "pearls" "tightly" - a saturated bond (saturated fats) or be "flexible", allowing the ends of the beads to rotate about this bond - an unsaturated bond (unsaturated fats). Hydrogenation can convert “flexible” unsaturated bonds into “hard” saturated bonds, thereby making the liquid oil solid. Suppose we have only one “flexible” link - in the middle of the beads.
If the ends of the beads with respect to the link lie in the same plane (we see the "crescent"), then this arrangement is called "cis" - it is easy to fasten them on the neck (that is, to learn). If the ends lie on opposite sides (we see the "ladder"), then this position is called "trance", and we will not be able to "put on" (that is, it will be more difficult to learn). (During hydrogenation, most of the unsaturated bonds take the "trans" form.) The assimilation of products saturated with trans isomers is difficult.
Yuri Nikolaevich Morozov, isp. Director of the Fat and Oil Union of Russia.
I adhere to the position of the World Health Organization: there must be an integrated approach to reducing the consumption of saturated fatty acids and trans fats (natural and industrial are not separated). WHO does not differentiate between saturated fats and trans fats according to the degree of harmfulness, recommending minimizing the consumption of both: saturated fat - no more than 10% of daily allowance consumption of kilocalories, trans fats - no more than 1%. In our diet today, the consumption of saturated fat is almost doubled. In contrast, industrial trans fats have declined. Due to recent trends, many enterprises are hydrogenating less than 5-6 years ago. It is important that products are labeled informing consumers of the presence of trans fats and saturated fats, so that people can control their intake of these components, not exceeding the WHO recommended level.
Vladimir Abdullaevich Dadali, Honorary Chairman of the Scientific Society of Natural Medicine, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Biological and General Chemistry, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov.
Trans fats are a completely unnatural food product - potential diabetes, potential atherosclerosis, potential peptic ulcer disease, and potential cancer. I think trans fats should be phased out. At the same time, margarine can be produced using a different technology, without the formation of trans fats, and in some European countries it is successfully used. And mayonnaise can be safe if it is just emulsified vegetable oil, but if margarine is mixed there and who knows what else, then, of course, such mayonnaise should not be eaten.
Many people wonder what these are trans fats and are they harmful? The components are altered molecules that appear in unsaturated oils (vegetable origin). The reason for this is the processing at high temperatures. In minimal proportions, trans fats can occur naturally. After processing by the method of hydrogenation, their number increases to 20 or even 50%. It has been proven that the harm of trans fats lies in the negative impact on the cardiovascular system. That is why WHO insists on the exclusion of such foods from the diet of a person at any age.
Hydrogenation concept
Before talking about what trans fats are, nutritionists and gastroenterologists recommend that you turn to the essence of such a process as hydrogenation. This is a specific algorithm in which refined fats are mixed with hydrogen. This happens at temperatures ranging from 190 to 220 degrees. It is highly recommended that you note that:
- this uses a powdery catalyst traditionally including nickel;
- due to the effect of increased temperature indicators, there is a change in the structural structure of fatty acids;
- trans-isomers begin to form, as well as other harmful components that negatively affect the functioning of the body as a whole.
Experts call the result of the process fat mass, namely fat mass. After that, she goes through a purification stage. As a result, a certain part of the undesirable components remains in a particular product intended for nutrition. Despite the harmful effects of trans fats on the body, products with their content have been in significant demand for a long time (for example, margarine or palm oil).
"Benefits" of trans fats
The conditional positive characteristics of this component include, first of all, the low cost in comparison with butter and other more natural products... This list contains margarine, mayonnaise and other types of hydrogenated product. Due to the presence of chemical components, trans fats can boast a longer shelf life, which explains the negative effect on the body. Another advantage is the permissibility of using it two or more times during the frying process.
It is hydrogenated fats that form the basis of all fast food products. The possibility of their reusable use contributed to the rapid development of such an industry. Before we talk in more detail about what these products are trans fats, it is necessary to dwell in detail on their harm to the human body.
Harmful properties of the component
As noted earlier, trans fatty acids are natural and artificial. It is noteworthy that natural varieties of hydrogenated fats are formed as a result of the vital activity of bacterial components. In meat products, trans fats are stored in an amount of 5 to 8%. Experts pay attention to the fact that:
- Since the 1990s, more and more people have been exposed to cardiovascular disease from consuming trans fats. In the United States alone, there are at least 20,000 people who die because of this every year.
- There is a link between the use of foods such as margarine and palm oil and the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease. Another pathological condition should be considered problems in the work of the coronary vessels.
- There are data indicating the connection of the presented component with oncology, diabetes mellitus, kidney, liver and digestive system diseases. In addition, the presence of trans fats in food in significant quantities leads to non-psychogenic depression, Alzheimer's disease.
It is also dangerous for women who are expecting a baby. Trans fats are the reason for the formation of fetal macrosomia (exceeding the standard size of the internal organs, which leads to the death of the baby). Hydrogenated substances are no less harmful for older children, because they also negatively affect the functioning of the body. Destabilization of metabolism is formed, allergic reactions can develop. Given all this, it is important to know about which products contain the presented component, and how to identify it by examining the packaging of the product.
Food
The question is quite expected, which foods contain trans fats. It can be sweet pastries made from refined white flour, culinary and confectionery fats. In addition, trans fats are used in the production of bakery components and in substitutes for dairy components. The same applies to cocoa butter substitutes, creams with vegetable oils.
Certainly harmful nutritionists and gastroenterologists call french fries, popcorn, various chips (corn or potato). Experts recommend avoiding the use of industrially created salad dressings in food. The list includes mayonnaise, a similar sauce. It can also be a sauce that was prepared on the basis of vegetable oil.
Product labeling and requirements
In order to inform consumers, packaging should always indicate the ratio of trans fats. In Europe, the USA, this is a prerequisite, while on the territory of Russia, each manufacturer makes a decision separately for himself: whether or not to indicate in what quantity the products contain this component.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that after January 1, 2018, the standards for these items will change significantly. We are talking about hard margarines (used for creams, baked goods and puff pastry). Previously, they were no more than 20%, and after the onset of 2018 they will be equal to 2%. Experts establish other values in this dependence:
- spreads, milk fat substitutes, soft and liquid margarines after January 1, 2018 will not be more than 2%;
- equivalents, as well as optimizers and substitutes for cocoa butter should be no more than 2%;
- goods in this case are classified and determined in accordance with the Technical Regulations for the oil and fat industry.
Harm to margarine
Periodic use of a product such as margarine can seriously harm the hormonal background of a person. This destroys the enzyme system. Destabilization occurs due to the problematic assimilation of the product by the human body (as opposed to, for example, refined oil).
Trans fats are even more dangerous due to the fact that they will be perceived as normal and at the physiological level will begin to be used to form cell membranes. Answering the question, why are trans fats and margarine dangerous, they pay attention to the fact that:
- taking into account the foreign structure of such membranes, the cells of the body quickly lose their optimal throughput;
- as a result, a metabolic disorder occurs at the cellular level, which may include endocrine and other disorders;
- this threatens the development of chronic diseases, a decrease in the immune status and other pathologies.
Margarines produced today and containing trans fats include significantly fewer trans fats. At the same time, even intermittent use of the hydrogenated product by children, the elderly and pregnant women is still quite dangerous.
The harm of palm oil
Palm oil is no less harmful to humans. Due to the presence of 50% saturated fatty acids in the product, it significantly increases the ratio of cholesterol in the blood. The most harmful palm oil is when it is included in confectionery or simply sweets.
This component is often used as a flavor enhancer. Therefore, sugary foods containing a hydrogenated component want to be consumed in more and more significant quantities. As a result, it provokes overeating, and then obesity. Cholesterol, which rapidly accumulates in the body when palm oil is used, deserves special attention from the point of view of doctors.
An increase in cholesterol levels affects the destabilization of lipid metabolism, vascular damage and the formation of atherosclerotic processes. The harm that palm oil carries for a child deserves special attention. Due to the presence of trans fats in it, it is not absorbed by the body. This provokes allergic reactions, quick addiction, and in fact often the hydrogenated component is added to the mixture for baby food, cereals, cereals. You should pay attention to the following list of palm oil products:
- condensed milk;
- dry cream;
- sour cream;
- ice cream;
- spreads and much more.
Given all this, it is not surprising that there is a serious struggle with trans fats, and many are thinking about how to remove them from the body.
Industrial components
According to experts, the most dangerous products, including a significant amount of trans isomers, are those that are not subjected to prolonged heat treatment. These include sorts of meat with a high degree of fat content - pork and beef. Products containing milk fat in significant quantities also belong to the list presented.
We are talking about ice cream, high-fat types of cheese, cream and sour cream. By reducing their consumption to a minimum, you can count on a more rapid recovery and recovery of the body by eliminating trans fats. This several times reduces the likelihood of the formation of diseases of the cardiovascular system, which are formed quite often.
How to reduce the amount of trans fats
To successfully reduce the ratio of this component, it will be necessary, first of all, to exclude all varieties of margarines from use. It is important to carefully read labels on various types of baked goods (cakes, cookies), as trans fats are often added to enhance the flavor. The list of foods requiring attention includes, as you know, mayonnaise, chips and other names containing fats.
Further, experts, both gastroenterologists and nutritionists, insist on the exclusion of visiting a cafe fast food... Any food sold there is harmful to the human body: from french fries to hamburgers, nuggets, breaded wings. The amount of trans fats is also estimated to be significant in semi-finished products related to industrial production. Considering this, it is recommended to abandon fish sticks, cutlets and other products previously fried in the dough (as a result, components harmful to life are formed).
According to WHO recommendations, the daily trans fat content should not exceed 1% of the total amount of food consumed. It is no more than two to three grams, which will be safe for humans. Thus, observing the correct diet, fully understanding what trans fats are and where they are contained, you can protect yourself from cardiovascular and other serious diseases.
The conclusions in this case are as follows: trans fats are one of the most harmful components present in the diet of a modern person. Therefore, WHO and other health organizations are striving to remove this component from the diet. To do this is 100% impossible. Significant reductions in trans fats have already improved people's health of different ages in Europe, the USA and Russia, to be convinced of what research on the hydrogenated component allows.
Most of the population has no idea what spenders are, despite the fact that every day there is a huge amount of them in the diet.
They are of no use to the human body. Rather, they can be harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to understand which foods contain trans fats in order to adjust the diet.
Trans fat is a synthetic fat. It is made from common vegetable oil and hydrogen. Hydrogen molecules transform butter into a solid state, that is, the usual margarine. It does not occur in the natural environment.
Margarine has always been considered a cheap analogue of butter, since its cost is several times cheaper than a butter product. Margarine does not pose any particular danger to the body.
It is dangerous when twisting of two molecules is made from the original product. The product has a different transformation, which is a by-product of margarine.
The human body can only digest fats of natural origin, which is why spenders are so dangerous. The body simply cannot assimilate them and this may cause discomfort. The body as a whole can be disrupted by the accumulation of large amounts of such inorganic fats.
Foods that contain spenders can trigger the development of cancerous tumors. And also weaken the human immune system.
Products containing spenders
In European countries, they have long learned to make margarine without twisting molecules, therefore, in European and Western products, the content of inorganic fats is reduced to the very minimum. Our country has not yet switched to new production technologies. Therefore, it is important to know where trans fats are kept.
Inorganic fat is not specially produced by anyone, it is a by-product that is obtained from the production of solid fats.
Russian legislation does not oblige manufacturers to indicate the presence of trans fats in products. Therefore, consumers have to independently study the packaging and appearance of the product being sold.
Dairy products with trans fats?
Most dairy products contain these fats. Due to their presence, the dairy product does not lose its shape. The presence of fat can be determined by the composition.
The manufacturer may indicate that the formulation contains margarine, vegetable fat or hydrogenated fat. Rest assured that this product contains trans fat. It is better to refrain from such a purchase.
By appearance, you can guess that trans fat was used in the production. A product that is hard, thick and likely contains this inorganic fat.
Margarine is trans fat!
All foods that contain margarine therefore contain trans fats. Here is a small list of foods in which trans fats are present a large number of:
Bakery products. All manufacturers make baked goods based on margarine. So that their cost is low.
Fast food. Buns, cutlets in fast food restaurants have trans fats. Thus, fast food chains offer the consumer quick and cheap snacks.
Milk products. This is mayonnaise, sour cream, ice cream. This is where trans fat is added to give the product a thick consistency. And the product retained its appearance, did not spread.
Chips, French fries, many believe that they are made using trans fats. However, this is not true. It's just that fast food itself has always been considered not good food for humans.
Trans fats do not have the best effect on the body. Since our body does not know how to distinguish natural from synthetic fat, trans fat is poorly digested and remains on the walls of internal tissues, which can adversely affect health.
Minimum consumption of trans fats
The risk of ingestion of synthetic fat should be reduced to a minimum. To do this, you need to carefully study the composition of the products that you purchase. Also pay attention to the appearance of the product. If it seems to you that the product has a synthetic substance, then refuse to purchase.
Scientists have long proven that synthetic fat is not recommended for consumption. Therefore, most Western and European manufacturers have abandoned the production of products based on solid fats. And Russian manufacturers still use trans fat to save costs.
Healthier and normal functioning of the body depends only on you. Try to consume foods that only benefit your body.
Photos of trans fats
With the increasing diversity in the field of cooking, the emergence of new products and dishes, it is important not to forget that food should saturate the body with useful trace elements and vitamins. And if it contains harmful toxins, such as trans fats, it can cause serious harm to human health. You can save yourself from negative influences by understanding what trans fats are and how they are harmful, as well as what foods contain these substances.
What are trans fats
Like proteins and carbohydrates, fats are an important part of a person's daily diet and must be ingested in certain quantities. This is a kind of energy reserve for the human body, which is easily accumulated and used as needed. At the beginning of the last century, one of the small culinary revolutions took place - the Procter & Gamble company began the production of hydrogenated fats in the form of inexpensive margarine at that time.
The product quickly gained popularity, since it turned out to be not only cheap, but also convenient in home cooking: many dishes were prepared with it, it was stored for a long time and did not deteriorate, without even losing its structure and density. It was on this margarine that the production of the first fast food began, and the creation of mayonnaise, ketchup and other sauces was also involved.
And only in the 90s, scientists paid close attention to the substances from which margarine is made. It turned out that transgenic fats provoke the development of many diseases, clog blood vessels, cause hypertension, ischemia, diabetes and can even provoke a heart attack. The reason for this is the special structure of the fatty compound, which, getting into human body, disrupts the metabolism and nutrition of cells. That construction material, which the human body needs to store and store energy, turned out to be “defective”.
Hydrogenation of fats
To obtain light, affordable and long-perishable trans fats, it was impossible to use the usual animal fat that was used before. An innovative hydrogenation process made it possible to create a solid product from liquid vegetable fats, which were obtained from cottonseed, soybean, sunflower and other oils. A biochemical reaction consists of several stages:
- Preparation of fats, which involves the splitting of their molecules and the removal of excess components and impurities that disrupt the hydrogenation process.
- Due to the use of nickel and copper-nickel salts, the contact surface of hydrogen and fats grows, which ensures the saturation of the latter.
- Fat solidification occurs, which is carried out due to the saturation of fatty acid molecules with hydrogen.
- There is also a reverse dehydrogenation reaction where hydrogen molecules are detached from fatty acid molecules.
V household use margarine and other products containing transgenic substances, it is not necessary to know thoroughly all the features of their production. However, it is important to carefully study the labels on the products you buy in the store. The policy of recent decades obliges manufacturing companies to indicate the presence of hazardous saturated and hydrogenated compounds on their packaging. However, on the territory of Russia and many other CIS countries, this requirement does not fully work.
What are trans isomers?
Where do the trans isomers come from in fats?
1 - Hydrogenation of oils
Most trans isomers in fats are formed as a result of the industrial process of partial hydrogenation of oils (hydrogenation reaction).
This is the process of interaction of fats with hydrogen using a catalyst and at elevated temperatures and pressures. In this case, the addition of hydrogen occurs at the double bonds, they open.
2 - Fats of ruminants
The next source of trans isomers is ruminant fats. Ruminants are cows, goats, sheep. Their meat, milk, butter, cheese contain trans isomers.
They have a special section in the stomach, a scar, where biochemical processes of food digestion take place with the help of special bacteria and enzymes.
3 - Deodorization of oils
Why use hydrogenated fat instead of regular oil?
In addition, vegetable oils contain many polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have a very low oxidative stability and quickly deteriorate (go rancid).
At the beginning of the 20th century, a method for the hydrogenation of oils was developed. He made it possible to transform liquid oils into solid ones. Moreover, the process is controlled, and you can stop it at different stages, getting fats for any "taste" and for any task: from soft to very hard.
Natural and artificial trans isomers: what is the difference
How do trans fats affect human health?
The effect of trans fats on the human body has not been studied well enough. But there is a large body of statistical research showing the negative health effects of trans fats.
The influence of some individual trans-isomers has been studied, and both their negative and positive effects have been found. The difficulty lies in the fact that trans isomers are present in fats as a whole set.
What WHO says about trans fats