What are trans fats? Where trans fats are found - food list

Trans fats are carcinogens that occur in vegetable oils when reheated. Most countries of the world regulate the content of trans fats in food - they should be no more than 2% of the total amount of fat in the product.

The harm of trans fats lies in their negative effect on metabolism - in the end, they provoke cardiovascular diseases and worsen obesity. What foods contain trans fats and how many are in margarine? The maximum daily rate.

// What are trans fats?

Trans fats are modified molecules that appear in unsaturated (vegetable) oils during repeated high-temperature processing. In minimal quantities, trans fats are also found in nature, however, in the industrial processing of oils, their share can rise to 20-50%.

Studies talk about the health risks of trans fats. Regular consumption of even small doses of trans fats disrupts the normal functioning of the metabolism (increasing the need for Omega-3), provokes obesity, and also leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases and increases bad cholesterol¹.

In many countries of the world (starting from the USA and Europe, ending with Latin America), manufacturers of products are required to indicate the content of trans fats on the package. In addition, the maximum daily dose of such fats is determined - about 3-4 g per day.

// Trans fats - briefly:

  • fatty acid transisomers
  • disrupt the metabolism
  • appear during repeated heat treatment

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Where are trans fats contained?

Trans fats are found in any vegetable oil that has undergone secondary heating to high temperatures - especially in the case of multiple cooking. In addition, trans fats can form in fatty foods when they are reheated - for example, in a microwave oven.

Of particular danger is margarine and any food products containing it. If margarine itself contains a minimal amount of trans fats, roasting or baking can significantly increase the number of harmful carcinogens.

// Products containing trans fats:

  • margarine
  • margarine-based pastries
  • any fried fast food
  • French fries
  • chips crackers

Danger and harm of trans fats

It is important to understand that trans fats are carcinogens, not direct poison. They do not cause immediate harm to health, but only worsen the metabolism, provoking the development of diseases and increasing the risk of cancer. In fact, you can eat them for years (and even decades) without the appearance of any symptoms.

Since it is the fatty acids that are used by the body to synthesize sex hormones, trans fats can lower testosterone in men and estrogen in women². Among other things, they increase blood cholesterol and impair insulin synthesis, causing the body to store calories in subcutaneous fat.

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  • How to increase testosterone?
  • how to burn subcutaneous fat?
  • cholesterol-free diet

The maximum daily dose

Studies suggest that harm to health and a change in human metabolism occur when trans fats are consumed in an amount of 2% of the total daily calorie intake. In terms of grams, this is equivalent to 3-4 g of transgenic fat per day - a tablespoon of margarine for baking or a small portion of french fries.

A large portion of french fries can contain up to 10-12 g of trans fats, fried chicken from CFS - about 5-7 g, one donut (donut) - 5 g, a small packet of chips - 3 g, a portion of breakfast cereal - 2 g³. We recall once again that in Russia there are no standards regulating the content of trans fats in products or restricting their use.

Trans fats - content in products

The modern food industry is based on the use of refined vegetable oils. Such fats are cheap, tasteless and have a long shelf life without requiring a refrigerator. Rejecting them will require a review of the process and increases the price of food.

The history of trans fats began with the search for a cheap butter substitute. In 1901, a process was invented that made it possible to convert naturally-occurring palm oil into a solid substance by passing hydrogen bubbles through boiling oil. The final result was margarine.

Since trans fats are found in margarine and in refined vegetable oil, they can be found in any product that includes these ingredients - from convenience foods, pastries and sweets (made from margarine) to french fries.

The content of trans fats in margarine

Until the time that trans fats were considered unhealthy, soft margarine contained up to 10-20% trans fats, and hard margarine for baking - up to 40%. Currently, Canada, the United States, the European Union and several other countries have set the upper bar - no more than 2% of the total amount of fat in the product.

In the early 2010s, the regulatory authorities of the above countries insisted that the amount of trans fats in products be measured and must be indicated on the packaging - exactly the same as the content of healthy omega-3 fats.

However, these rules did not apply to Russia, China and most Asian countries, where measuring and indicating the content of trans fats in products is still not required.

***

Trans fats formed in oils during repeated high-temperature processing are carcinogens and can be harmful to health. Trans fats are found in margarine and in any food fried in refined vegetable oil.

Scientific sources:

Source: fitseven.com

  1. Trans fatty acids: effects on metabolic syndrome, heart disease and diabetes, Micha R, Mozaffarian D., Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, source
  2. Dorgan, JF, JT Judd, C. Longcope, C. Brown, A. Schatzkin, BA Clevidence, WS Campbell, PP Nair, C. Franz, L. Kahle, AND PR Taylor. Effects of dietary fat and fiber on plasma and urine androgens and estrogens in men: A controlled feeding study. Am J Clin Nutr, 64: 850-855, 1996
  3. Top 10 Foods With Trans Fats, source
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