Hydrogenated fats or oils are a name that you must have heard when you read the labels written on margarine packages and the packages of some food products, so what are these fats?
They are solid oils, extracted as a liquid from some plants and foods, then converted into solid fats by the hydrogen element in what is called the “hydrogenation process”, that is, they become unsaturated fats, and these industrial fats are found in many food products and foods, and they cause a lot of damage within our bodies.
What are the most dangerous symptoms of hydrogenated fats? And how can we avoid eating it?
This is what we present to you in our next article. Follow along with us to find out where these harmful fats are located and to answer all your questions.
Why do some food companies resort to manufacturing hydrogenated fats and oils?
You must realize that the primary goal behind the hydrogenation process is a profit-making goal, and it is not related to improving the quality of food or increasing its benefits to the body.
In general, food product companies resort to converting natural fats and oils into hydrogenated ones in order to:
1- Prolonging the shelf life of food products and protecting them from rotting.
2- Increasing the company's profits and reducing costs, due to the ease of producing and saving fats in this way compared to natural fats.
3- Making foods look like they are more quantity or more dense.
What are the harmful effects of hydrogenated fats?
Have you ever asked yourself when buying these fats, is it harmful to health?
Certainly they are harmful, as these fats are unreal fats that the body does not recognize and does not benefit from at all.
Rather, these fats accumulate within the body and cause a lot of damage when consumed for long periods.
Among the most important harms of hydrogenated fats and oils, we mention:
Overweight, obesity and associated diseases.
High levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.
Low levels of good HDL cholesterol.
Atherosclerosis and the resulting serious diseases (high blood pressure - stroke).
Heart disease.
These fats may also cause type 2 diabetes.
How do you avoid eating hydrogenated fats?
In order to beware of consuming these products that are harmful to the body, follow these steps:
1) Learn about foods that contain hydrogenated fats and avoid them, and among the most popular foods that contain them, we mention:
Fried potatoes and fried chicken.
Fried oil or fried foods in general.
Pastries.
Commercial biscuits.
· potato chips.
Industrial milk.
Some types of margarine or industrial oils.
This is done by carefully reading the label on the commercial product, not just the title written in large font on the product.
The presence of the term "free of hydrogenated fats and oils" on a commercial product (not on the label) does not necessarily indicate that the product does not contain these fats.
As the food industry companies consider that the presence of a ratio between (0 - 1) for hydrogenated fats means that it does not exist.
Therefore, be sure to read the instructions and contents written on the label, in order to ensure that the product is free of any small amount of these harmful fats.
3) Use healthy products in cooking
It may be a common practice in your society to use margarine in cooking, as it is easy to use and can be kept in the refrigerator.
But this ghee is hydrogenated, and it has many harms to the body, and therefore these bad habits should not be followed.
Rather, make sure to use vegetable oils or animal fats in cooking, and a good example is olive oil, avocado oil, or salmon and sardines fat.
4) Avoid eating processed foods and fast food.
Prepared foods or fast food all contain hydrogenated fats and oils, and therefore eating them causes a lot of damage to the body.
You can avoid eating these prepared foods by carrying healthy foods wherever you go (apples, bananas, carrots, milk) to eat when hungry instead of buying fast food, as they are healthy and beneficial to the body, as they are able to provide you with enough energy for a long time.
In the end, remember that what you will save from buying a cheap and poor product, you will pay many times more to treat its effects and diseases.
So invest in your health, do not bring hydrogenated oils and fats into your home, and rely on vegetable oils and animal fats that have many benefits.