Trans fats: very bad!

Do you think that saturated fats were the worst? There are other more harmful. They are called "trans" and hide even in seemingly healthy products.

The average daily consumption of trans fats in the US and Europe is 5.5 g but can reach up to 13 g daily in certain sectors of the population.

You are a person aware of the need for a healthy light to maintain your health and figure feeding. So this morning you decided to have breakfast a bowl of skim milk with whole grains. Miras package labeling and you feel safe: one serving (. 50 g approx) has only 200 calories and 3 grams of fat miserable, none of which is saturated.

But it just will overlook a small detail. Indeed, on the label, saturated fats are reflected as 0 g, but just below you can read: trans fat: 1 g. If you have not given importance to the fact is that perhaps not know what exactly are these lipids clog arteries and whose regular consumption (not even necessary to abuse them) doubles your chances of developing cardiovascular disease. An even more disturbing fact: most processed foods contain a higher saturated trans fats, already pretty bad percentage.

What exactly are trans fats?

-  they are liquid vegetable oils which become solid through a process called hydrogenation.

-  is inevitably applied to vegetable oils with margarine is made, because today there is no natural source of vegetable fat solid at room temperature.

-  The hydrogenation can also extend the life of these oils preventing rancidity. This is the reason why trans fats are used, unfortunately, in 90 percent of processed foods sold: Product prolong life and improve its flavor.

-  During the hydrogenation process an isomer, called "trans" that our body is unable to assimilate and derived is created, it seems, all the health problems that intake of these fats entails.

So you hurt

-  While still do not know many of the negative effects, the appearance of recent studies shows the need to know and take these fats with extreme caution, if not directly eliminate them.

-  One such study shows that trans fats alter the proportion of lipoproteins in the blood unfavorably or what is the same, that increase the level of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) to the detriment of "good" cholesterol (HDL ).

-  On the other hand, experts from FAO and WHO have warned of increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the western world over the next 10 years because of the indiscriminate consumption of these fats.

-  Trans fatty acids can inhibit the transformation of other essential fatty acids that play a key role in the development and maturation of the brain.

-  Although saturated fats are not very beneficial to health, our body's "recognizes" and assimilates without problems.

-  Not so with trans fats; our body does not recognize them because its structure has been modified, so it accumulates and eventually, end up interfering very damaging way our metabolic reactions.

In addition, according to experts, trans fat stick to the arteries much faster than any other type of fat.

-  Although there are studies linking trans fat consumption with a higher incidence of cancerous tumors, they are not considered, so far, inconclusive.

-  One of the main problems is that the harmful effects of trans fats are given long-term and consumers, especially in Europe, they are not yet very aware of their danger.

-  Disinformation is so in part by excess and partly by default-, most consumers still think that fats of vegetable origin, whatever -including palm oil, coconut ...- benefit the Health.

The Enemy Within The problem is that, except Denmark, which prohibits the marketing of any product whose trans-fat content exceeds 2% - no country in the European Union requires manufacturers to include in the labeling of its products amount of trans fats they contain, and which also may appear named as "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated". But in the US the FDA proposed that from 2006 all labels of food products in the country should report the amount of trans fats they contain. However, consumer advocates seems an insufficient extent, and have launched a public campaign hard for the FDA to completely ban the use of these fats in food manufacturing. For the moment, the absence of legislation regulating the problem in our country, it is best to voluntarily reduce consumption of these fats. And for that, not only it should be read with a magnifying glass labeling of products that usually shopping and memorize the list of foods that you give below; You should also sign up to healthier cooking methods. Did you know that in your own kitchen you can be creating trans fats? It is what happens when these measures are not taken into account:

-  you use for frying vegetable oils (such as sunflower) and submit to high temperatures thereby becoming a trans.

-  Fríes with olive oil (the right), but the heat up to temperatures above 180 degrees; the effects are the same as if you use vegetable fats.

-  You use the same oil for more than 3 or 4 fritters. No matter whether olive or sunflower oil must be renewed to prevent the formation of trans fatty acids.

-  In any case, it is best to resort to frying occasionally, and get used to cook your food grilled, steamed, boiled or baked.

THE TOP TEN OF THE TRANS 1 serving of potato chips (150 g): 7 g of trans 1 industrial apple pie: 6 g of trans 1 donuts (and other similar packaged buns): 5-6 g of trans 1 patty: 3 g of trans 1 quesito: 2.5 g of trans 1 cupcake: 2 g of trans-2 crackers Mary type: 1.3 g of trans 1 tablespoon margarine 0.9 g of trans 1 slice of bread mold: 0.8 g of trans