What are trans fats and where are they found. Trans fats

The content of the article:

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 packaging. 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 dietary 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 digestion of food is disrupted, and problems with stool appear. All this is accompanied by heaviness in the stomach, heartburn, nausea, general weakness.
Obesity... Weight gain is dictated by the fact that foods with trans fats are very high in calories, and therefore quickly gain weight from them. All this serves as provoking factors for development. 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 the quality of sperm, 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 be a 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 stress tolerance... 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. Foods 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 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 tastier, 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 processing 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 establishments fast food such as McDonald's.

Here's what exactly it is about:

French fries... It is dangerous because it is cooked at high temperatures in a lot 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.

List of other foods containing trans fats

In this regard, the sweet tooth is not lucky, because one of the leaders in the amount 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 a few more harmful products with trans fats:

Candy and Bars... Palm oil is often added to them, which occupies at least 5% of the composition. Thanks to him, the sweetness thickens, becomes more tasty and beautiful. The only exceptions are lollipops.
Mayonnaise... It is best 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 fat" 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.

Trans fats are substances formed during the hydrogenation of liquid vegetable fats to a solid state. In the food industry, they are used to reduce the cost of food and lengthen their shelf life.

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Characteristic

Trans fats are a specific type of unsaturated fat. The product is obtained by an artificial method - by hydrogenation of liquid vegetable oils. Substances have a solid structure, for example, margarine, cooking oil.

Trans fatty acids are also naturally occurring. The formation of trans fats occurs due to the activity of bacteria in the stomach of animals of the ruminant class. Such hydrogenated substances are found in natural dairy and meat products (about 5–8%). Elements are also formed in deodorized vegetable oils that have been heated at high temperatures.

Product origin

Any fat molecule consists of two parts - "tail" (contains fatty acid molecules) and "head" (determines the role of fat in the body). Most fats (triglycerides) have one head molecule and 3 tail molecules.

The longer the fatty acid, the higher the melting point of the fats it contains. Products with a predominance of unsaturated fatty acids (soybean, sunflower, olive oil, fish oil) have a broken, irregular molecular configuration and are in a liquid state at a temperature of 20 ° C. And products with a high percentage of saturated fatty acids (cocoa butter, beef and milk fat) have a compact, crystalline structure and remain in a solid state.

Hydrogenation

High quality solid fats have a high price, so they cannot fully meet the needs of the food industry. Liquid - deteriorate quickly and are not suitable for intense heat treatment. Therefore, it was proposed to modify vegetable fats by hydrogenation to a solid state. Hydrogenation consists in the partial breaking of a double bond in an unsaturated fatty acid, attaching two hydrogen atoms to it, which turns the unsaturated acid into a saturated one.

In industry, refined fat in an autoclave is mixed with hydrogen under pressure at a high temperature, using a powder catalyst, the temperature on the surface of which can reach 1,000 ºС. The end product of hydrogenation is salomas. When partial hydrogenation is carried out, a high content of trans fatty acids is observed in it - about 50%. If the catalysts are reused, the yield of trans isomers increases, this is used to increase the hardness of the fat without deteriorating their plastic properties.

List of Basic Trans Fat Foods

According to the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union of 2013 on the packaging fatty product with the permissible use of modified oils, information on the maximum content of trans isomers of fatty acids when exceeding 0. 9% must be indicated.

Not every manufacturer fulfills this requirement. In the composition indicated on the packaging of the product, the content of trans isomers may be hidden under the following names:

margarine;
vegetable oil;
vegetable fat, kulinan, confectionery;
substitute or equivalent for cocoa butter;
hydrogenated oil;
vegetable cream;
milk fat substitute.

There are practically no artificial trans fats in oil, refined and purified by freezing.

Federal law restricts the content of trans isomers in such products:

soft margarine;
ghee;
cocoa butter substitutes, equivalents and improvers;
spread.

In other products, the amount is not standardized.

Table listing the staple foods that contain trans fats :

List of products based on hydrogenated fats:

Especially a large number of trans fats can be found in such products:

fast food (french fries, deep-fried product - fried wings, nuggets, cutlets);
semi-finished products fried, frozen (chicken and fish sticks, pizza and popcorn for the microwave);
baked goods, confectionery, bread using vegetable dry fat and margarine;
mayonnaise and sauces based on it;
ice cream;
chocolates and chocolates.

Many industrial dairy products (cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream, cream, glazed curds) instead of milk fat contain hydrogenated vegetable oils (coconut, palm, soy, cottonseed). A small amount of trans isomers are present in natural dairy products. Butter contains about 2-7%.

If you have opened this article, then you probably already know something about the concept of trans fats.

And if not, then you will definitely find out, and not only what it is, but also why trans fats are dangerous.

After all, we eat food stuffed with these chemicals almost every day.

And those who eat everything indiscriminately and are far from understanding healthy eating, generally at risk for a lot of sores!

First, advice number one - watch what you eat!

For the most part, it is the quality of food that determines our well-being, health and appearance.

So, the purpose of this article is to familiarize you with information about the dangers of food, which contains dangerous trans fats, in order to help you avoid unpleasant consequences and terrible diseases.

What are trans fats?

Trans fat is an industrial product that is a solid fat mass obtained by exposing vegetable oils to high temperatures. During a procedure (called hydrogenation), the oils are saturated with hydrogen molecules, as a result of which the molecular structure of the unsaturated fatty acids changes.

When trans fats enter the human body, their deformed molecules displace beneficial fatty acids from cell membranes. This disrupts the proper nutrition of cells, and also prevents them from getting rid of waste products.

Cells do not cope with their tasks, toxic substances accumulate in the body and metabolism is disturbed ... And this is followed by various diseases and pathologies.

This is what trans fats are dangerous for!

Knowing this is imperative if you want to live a long, healthy and happy life.

So why are trans fats ubiquitous in the food industry?

And all because they increase the shelf life of the products to which they are added. Products containing trans fats can be carelessly stored in warehouses for a long time, refrigerators are not required, and there is no need to worry about their quick sale. And the turnover of production can be increased in this way, which means that the cost of products will decrease.

It is beneficial for manufacturers, and for “shopkeepers” as well.

And what can we say about drugstore magnates, private clinics, fitness parlors, massage parlors where people run and give them their hard-earned money to get rid of the problems caused by excessive consumption of foods with trans fats?

Consumer society ... What else can I say?

Why are trans fats dangerous for the body?

Diseases that can occur when consuming transgenic foods include:

cardiac ischemia;
strokes and heart attacks;
disorders of the liver and pancreas (diabetes);
oncological diseases;
atherosclerosis,
weakened immunity;
obesity;
blurred vision
decrease in testosterone levels in men.

In addition to this list, trans fats also negatively affect:

the quality of the milk of a nursing mother, while with it transgenic fats passed on to the child;
the expectant mother and her fetus, since the birth of a baby with pathologically low weight is possible;
the body's ability to withstand stressful situations, and increases the risk of developing depression;
development senile dementia and premature aging of the body.

Not a happy prospect at all, right?

And, alas, it is impossible to remove dangerous trans fats from the body.

You can only wait until the damaged cells are replaced by new ones in a natural way. This will take at least 2 years, subject to the complete rejection of hazardous products.

So it is necessary to "protect" from food with trans fats, so as not to gorge on the above diseases.

How to recognize trans fats in food?

The danger of trans fats lies in the fact that manufacturers carefully hide their content in products, inventing more and more new names for them.

Standard names such as hydrogenated fats, margarine, saturated fats, partially hydrogenated fats are now less and less common on packaging.

Nowadays, labels usually indicate the following names for trans fats:

cooking oil;
combined fat;
vegetable fat;
frying fat;
solid vegetable oil;
Trans fatty acids;
Trans Fats.

Another trick that manufacturers go for is specifying vegetable oil on "solid" foods. For example, such as cheese.

But it does not flow, but keeps its shape! Means not just butter, but trans fats.

What foods contain trans fats?

Since trans fats are created artificially, their content can only be found in industrial food products.

Their list is as follows:

Margarine, spreads, butter below 80% fat;
Almost all confectionery, namely - cookies, crackers, croissants, waffles, muffins, rolls, donuts, eclairs, pastries, cakes, chocolate icing;
Butter sweet buns;
Snacks - chips, crackers, popcorn;
Semi-finished and frozen foods - purchased cutlets, fish sticks, nuggets, dumplings, frozen pizza, pancakes;
Mayonnaise, ketchup and any other "shop" sauces;
Deep-fried fast food - fries, hamburgers, pasties, belyashi;
3 in 1 coffee and coffee creamer;
Light low-fat cheeses;
Instant breakfast cereals.

As you can see, the list is quite impressive and it is likely that you consume many of these foods on a daily basis. And most likely it will be difficult to completely and immediately abandon them. But it is possible to reduce them to a minimum!

Meals without trans fats

To reduce your intake of trans fats, follow these dietary guidelines:

Choose homemade food made from natural and fresh ingredients.

Fast food establishments should be forgotten forever.

Eliminate all quick and unhealthy snacks from your diet.

Replace them with dried fruits and nuts.

Eat different sauces less often.

If possible, cook them yourself.

For example, in just 5 minutes.

The same goes for ketchups.

Avoid frying foods, and especially deep-frying.

Give preference to such cooking methods as baking, boiling, stewing.

If you really want something sweet and forbidden, find the simplest recipe and cook it yourself.

Fortunately, there are a lot of recipes for all kinds of pastries on the Internet now. Take your pick, I don’t want to!

Trans fats, what they are and how are they dangerous, what foods are contained in them and how their use can harm the body.

All fighters for healthy image life and for the principles of healthy eating, they unanimously blame fats for all the problems of mankind: diseases of the heart and blood vessels, overweight, diabetes mellitus and other troubles.

But many people forget that when the phenomenon of hydrogenation of vegetable and animal fats was first discovered, it became a revolution in the food industry and saved thousands and thousands of people from hunger. Whether trans fats are so bad and so harmful to human health, let's try to figure it out.

What are trans fats?

Let's start with the fact that fats are very necessary for our body. Cell membranes are built from them, hormones are built from lipids, after all, fats are an energy-intensive product for obtaining energy.

Fats are of animal origin and vegetable. According to their physical state, they can be liquid and solid. Both, depending on the structure of the molecule, can be saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated fats are fatty acid molecules made up of a carbon chain, surrounded by hydrogen atoms.

Unsaturated fat is a fatty acid made up of a carbon chain that is not completely absorbed by hydrogen atoms.

So, solid fat, as a rule, is a heterogeneous mixture of fatty acids, most of which are saturated (butter). In contrast to solid fat, liquid vegetable fat mostly contains unsaturated fatty acids.

Hydrogenated fat is a completely artificial type of fat. It is based on cheap vegetable oil (palm), which is exposed to high temperatures and chemical reaction accelerators.

In this case, unsaturated vegetable fat acquires the missing hydrogen atoms and becomes solid. Thus, expensive butter is replaced by cheap margarine, which is widely used in the food industry.

What is trans fat?

In the process of hydrogenation, that is, saturation of fatty acids with hydrogen, such a reaction occurs. Not all molecules accept hydrogen, but instead change their spatial structure.

To fully comprehend this process, one must recall the lessons of chemistry or physics and that model of a molecule in the form of balls connected by sticks. Thus, by changing its spatial position, the molecule will not change the substance itself, nor its type, but the properties will change. This is how the byproduct of fat hydrogenation has a negative effect on cells. human body, disguised as a useful product.

It must be said that in living nature in the animal body, fat isomers are also formed as a result of the peculiarities of the structure and work of the stomach of ruminants and the activity of certain bacteria. But its content is extremely small.

Natural butter contains two to eight percent trans fats, while artificial margarine can be as high as 70 percent.

Of course, if you think remotely, the invention and development of the hydrogenation of liquid, vegetable fats is a colossal discovery in the field of chemistry. It is noteworthy that for the first time the famous corporation Procter and Gamble began to use hydrogenated fat for the first time widespread use in the food industry.

But the invention itself belongs to the scientist P. Sabatier, who received the Nobel Prize. And industrial equipment and the mechanism of saturation of fatty acids with hydrogen, in 1909, was developed by a German by origin, V. Norman.

Why are hydrogenated fats so popular with food workers? Quite simply, artificial fat is a very practical product:

Refractory. In order for the margarine to melt, the usual room temperature is not enough.
Store well. Due to the large amount of hydrogen, natural solid fats are quickly oxidized, that is, they attach an oxygen molecule and fast, while artificial fat is more persistent.
Tastes good. This type of fat tastes like natural butter, so they are added in large quantities to semi-finished products, products that are poor in natural ingredients: cheap snacks, chips, dumplings and cutlets.

Harm to health of trans fats

It seemed, well, what's wrong with that, well, there is an ugly wrong molecule of fatty acid in the body, so what? The thing is that each cell is surrounded by lipids, which are composed of fatty acids. These lipid molecules protect the cell from external influences and ensure its interaction with other cells, nutrients, oxygen.

Trans fats replace lipids and thus disable the cell. Accordingly, the cell does not work and dies. If a group of cells dies, the organ will not function well. In addition, damaged cells do not remove metabolic products outside, toxins accumulate and poison the body.

In the human body there is an organ system, the defeat of which leads to damage to many parts of the body and to death. It is about the cardiovascular system. More precisely about the vessels themselves.

Vessels are of two types, veins and arteries. Oxygen-poor blood flows through the veins from the organs, it flows passively to the heart. And from the heart, blood rushes through the arteries actively, pushed out by the heart muscle.

Arteries are more complex. On their inner surface there are special endothelial cells. These cells are very sensitive to damage and upon contact with a foreign particle, the arteries sharply narrow their lumen with the help of a layer of muscle cells, a turbulent blood flow occurs, and blood clots develop.

These are certainly not large particles, but the worst thing is that erythrocytes adhere to a microscopic thrombus and the thrombus grows. As a result of the fact that trans fats change the structure and structure of the vessels themselves, they are able to increase the amount of high molecular weight heavy cholesterol, which subsequently constitutes the structural unit of atherosclerosis.

Hence, a number of diseases of vascular origin:

Ischemic heart disease is a group of diseases at the core, of which there is only one phenomenon, insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the myocardium. The myocardium is the heart muscle. When a muscle ceases to cope with the load, structural changes occur in it, and this further exacerbates the process. If a vessel is completely blocked and blood does not reach the heart cells at all, myocardial infarction occurs.
Stroke is the generalized name for a group of cerebrovascular diseases. Just as in the heart, the vessels are affected in the brain and cease to deliver oxygen to the brain cells and nutrients.
Ischemic lesion of the vessels of the legs and arms. Sometimes, when the vessels are so narrowed by atherosclerotic plaques, and the wall itself loses its elasticity and becomes brittle, the small capillaries of the fingers and toes become clogged, and the tips of the fingers turn black - this is the so-called dry gangrene.
With a long course of ischemic disease, they speak of angina pectoris. At the same time, a person cannot perform physical activity or walk long distances.

All these diseases rank first in the world in terms of mortality worldwide. There is not a single state where most people would not die from diseases of cardiovascular origin.

It is well known that in America alone, more than 25,000 deaths are recorded annually, from diseases provoked by the excessive consumption of trans fats.

Under the influence of fatty acid isomers, sex hormones also change their structure. After all, this type of hormone is built from cholesterol. These changes can lead to hormonal infertility.

When a cell is destroyed, it cannot remove the toxic products of its vital activity, they accumulate and gradually poison the entire body.

Toxins cause cancers and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system.

If a woman who carries a baby constantly eats foods with a high content of isomers, there is a possibility that they can disrupt the genome and cause negative mutations in the fetus.

There is a dependence of uncontrolled weight gain among the population, with the use of trans fats in food.

When cholesterol metabolism is disturbed, the normal functioning of the endocrine system is disrupted. In this case, the regulation of lipid metabolism suffers in the first place. Lipids break down more slowly and are more and more deposited in tissues.

More sad statistics say that the percentage of obesity among children has also increased several times. This can be explained by the wide distribution of various kinds of snacks, snacks, chips and other harmful things.

Television and radio advertisements promote food service chains that use hydrogenated fats in all dishes. Bad eating habits are taught to children with early age and this leads to obesity and loss of health.

In natural nature, irregular fats are present in the meat and fat of ruminants, no more than 2%. But in the life of a modern person, they are not scary, since people do not eat pure meat so often.

Our contemporaries prefer cheaper semi-finished products, ready meals for microwave ovens and often visit public catering. As already mentioned, because of its low cost and longer shelf life, trans fats are used in the food industry all the time.

Butter

Natural cream is very expensive and it is very difficult to find butter of exclusively natural origin. Cream butter contains at least 4-6% trans fat. The package must indicate that it consists of natural cream, the percentage of which is not less than 72%. Otherwise, it is a spread.

Natural vegetable oils

Each type of vegetable oil contains no more than 1% of natural trans isomers.

Margarine

Margarine gained wide popularity during perestroika due to the deterioration in the standard of living of the common man. Good quality butter has become too expensive for people, so the choice fell on hydrogenated fats.

All baked goods: biscuits, waffles, cakes and pies, all are made in food mass production from margarine. The following products are also included in the margarine category:

cooking oil;
hydrogenated fat;
Palm oil;
a mixture of vegetable oils;
spread;
milk fat substitute.

Chocolate

The quality, taste and shelf life of chocolate depend on what type of cocoa butter is put into the product. Natural and very expensive cocoa butter quickly oxidizes and deteriorates and melts even on the counter.

But its substitute, cheap artificial fat with flavors and flavors, can lie on the store shelf for a very long time, only the percentage of trans isomers in such chocolate is off the charts.

Mayonnaise

This favorite sauce is made on the basis of vegetable oil with the addition of mustard and eggs. But it is more profitable for the manufacturer to add artificial fat there, which will provide the mayonnaise with keeping quality and long-term use.

Deep fat products

Everyone's favorite chicken wings or other parts of it, processed in bread crumbs and fried in a large amount of oil, are an explosive mixture of carcinogens and trans fats, especially if they are cooked in old waste oil.

How can you reduce your trans fat intake?

Don't buy ready-made food, even in cooking. Most likely for buyers, everything is fried in old oil and at a very high temperature.
Change your habit of snacking on the go with chips, crackers, or other snacks.
Prepare food from raw foods.
Eat more vegetables and fruits
Do not use semi-finished products.

Conclusion

The fast pace of life and a wide range of products on the market make the use of ready-made meals and cheap semi-finished products more familiar and convenient. Along with these foods, a person eats a large amount of unhealthy trans fats.

But you can easily change this state of affairs by simply changing your eating habits and adopting the principles of healthy eating in your life. Buy natural food, do not be lazy to cook homemade food according to proven recipes.

Many of us have heard such a terrible word as "trans fat" many times. For most people, it is associated with something extremely harmful and dangerous. But at the same time, when buying waffles and cookies for our child in stores, we often do not look at the composition at all and help children's body accumulate this very dangerous substance, which can lead to dire consequences. Some people still look at the composition, but manufacturers have learned to disguise the dreaded word "trans fats" with names that are not terrifying. What is the danger of trans fats, which foods contain them, and how to recognize them in foods? Let's try to figure it out.

Trans fats are fats that contain the trans isomers of unsaturated fatty acids. Small amounts of trans fats can be found in natural products(in milk and meat of ruminants, as well as in vegetable oils), but the greatest danger is brought by trans fats, manufactured in an industrial way and added to various foods.

Manufactured trans fats are solid fats obtained from liquid vegetable oils by hydrogenation (hydrogen addition). The hydrogenation (hardening) procedure significantly increases the shelf life of fats, which is very beneficial for manufacturers of various food products. And if most vegetable oils are very useful for the human body, then after the hydrogenation process chemical composition oil changes greatly and becomes dangerous to the human body. It is worth noting that regular vegetable oil (, etc.) also becomes a source of trans fat when fried. It is for this reason that doctors and nutritionists strongly recommend that you minimize fried foods, and it is best to eliminate them altogether.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the dangerous effect of industrial trans fats on the human body and recommends that manufacturers completely exclude them from the composition of food, and consumers reduce their intake of trans fats to 1% (2-3g) of daily allowance total power consumption.

Trans fats tend to accumulate in the human body, which leads to severe diseases of the body, and often to death.

Harm of trans fats:

Trans fats are the most dangerous for blood vessels and heart. They have been scientifically proven to significantly increase the risk of coronary artery disease, strokes and many other diseases of the cardiovascular system. And, as you know, cardiovascular diseases are one of the most common causes of death.
Trans fats have a detrimental effect on the immune system.
Excessive consumption of foods containing trans fats can contribute to the onset and development of obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cancer.
Trans fats in men reduce the quality of sperm and the amount of male hormones in the body.
May reduce the quality of breast milk in breastfeeding women. At the same time, trans fats are passed to the child with the mother's milk, which can have a very detrimental effect on the health of the baby.
Trans fats have a negative effect on the entire body as a whole.

What foods contain trans fats:
Trans fats are found in a myriad of foods sold in our stores. The leader in trans fat content is margarine and spreads. Also, a large amount of trans fat is usually found in the following foods:
Popcorn and chips;
Ketchup, and all kinds of sauces;
Meat and fish semi-finished products, frozen meals;
Ice cream;
fries, nuggets, pasties and other fast food products;
Confectionery: biscuits, donuts, waffles, pastries, cakes, chocolate bars, etc.
Butter baked goods;
Dry mixes for making soups, sauces, creams, pancakes, pastries, drinks, etc.

How manufacturers disguise the presence of trans fats in the product:
Every day there are more and more people aware of the dangerous properties of trans fats, and manufacturers, in order not to lose buyers of their products, are finding new ways to disguise this harmful ingredient. The composition of the product may contain the following names, which are, in fact, trans fats:
Margarine;
Vegetable fat;
Cooking oil;
Combined fat;
Hydrogenated fat;
Hydrogenated oil;
Partially hydrogenated fat;
Frying fat.
It is worth noting: if this ingredient is at the beginning of the composition, then this means that there is a lot of it in the product.

How to protect yourself from the negative effects of trans fats?
To protect yourself from the negative effects of trans fats, you need to:
1. Before buying, very carefully read the composition of the product and refuse those that contain trans fats.
2. If possible, refuse ready-made semi-finished products and meals in fast food establishments.
3. Give preference to homemade pastries and baked goods.
4. Do not use margarine, spreads or prepared sauces for cooking.

As you can see, trans fats are found in a huge number of foods that make up a large part of our diet. That is why get rid of harmful influence trans fats are completely unlikely to work out. All we can do in a situation like this is to minimize the use of potentially hazardous foods. Eat as many fresh vegetables and fruits as possible. will also be beneficial to the body.

Take care of yourself and be healthy!