NUTRITION - FATS - GOOD OR BAD?

Types of Fat

There are four types of fats:

Monounsaturated fat – good fat
Polyunsaturated fat – good fat
Saturated fat – bad fat
Trans fat – worst by far

Trans Fats [Hydrogenated Fat]

Trans fats are also known as hydrogrenated fat. The hydrogenation process causes the fat to harden or take on a solid form. Trans fats are produced by the partial hydrogenation of oils. In any antiaging nutrition program, you should replace hydrogenated fat natural unhydrogenated vegetable oils. An average of 274 people are dying each day from consuming trans fats in USA alone.

Partial hydrogenation is used to provide longer shelf-life in baked products; provide longer fry-life for cooking oils, and provide a certain kind of texture or "mouthfeel." They are also laden with lethal trans fat.

Trans fats cause significant and serious lowering of HDL (good) cholesterol and a significant and serious increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol; make the arteries more rigid; cause major clogging of arteries; cause insulin resistance; cause or contribute to type 2 diabetes; and cause or contribute to other serious health problems.

[HDL levels, to be considered "normal," should be at least 35 - 40 mg/DL]

For every one-milligram rise in "good cholesterol," the risk for developing cardiovascular disease falls by 2 to 3 percent. A level of 60 milligrams or higher helps to protect against this major killer.

HDL also acts as an antioxidant deterring the harmful oxidation of LDL, and as an anti-inflammatory agent, helping to repair what is now considered a major player in blood vessel disease. And it has anti-clotting properties, which can help keep blood clots from blocking arteries.

How Much Trans Fat is in the Products that We Eat?

In a recent survey, five popular restaurant or takeout foods, their trans fat content:

5 Small chicken nuggets - 4 grams of trans fat.
1 Apple Danish from a donut shop - 2.7 grams of trans fat.
2 Chinese takeout Vegetable spring rolls - 1.7 grams of trans fat.
1 Fillet of battered fish - 1.2 grams of trans fat
2 slices of Pizza -1 gram of trans fat; mostly from vegetable shortening in the crust.
Large McDonald's French fries - 8 grams.
1 McDonald's baked apple pie - 4.5 grams.
3 Oreo cookies - 7 grams of fat, 1.5 saturated fat, and 2.5 trans fat.

It’s not only fastfood outlets; many of these are diligently working at reducing trans fat level. Many top restaurants, also fry their food in partially hydrogenated oil and served baked goods containing partially hydrogenated oil.

Trans Fats & Foodmarket Labels

Check for:

Trans Fat
Partially hydrogenated oil
Shortening

Under FDA regulations "if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram [of trans fat], the content, when declared, shall be expressed as zero."

Foods To Lower Your Cholesterol

NEXT: Keep Your Digestive System Healthy With Fiber

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