Natural vs Artificial Trans Fats
Trans fats are a form of saturated fats that are considered very unhealthy. There are 2 forms of trans fatty acids — natural and artificial. The natural trans fats are formed when ruminant animals like sheep, goats, cattle digest grass, therefore, found in dairy and meat. But these natural trans fats are not harmful when compared to artificial trans fats that are also known as partially hydrogenated fats or industrial trans fats. They are a serious risk to our health and a cause for many health conditions. Trans fats also tend to damage the inner lining of the blood vessels, impairing artery dilation and also increasing the risk of certain cancers.
Stay away from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as they are the major contributing factor of trans fats in your diet along with other processed food options. These oils have a long shelf life and are cheap to manufacture. Apart from hydrogenated vegetable oils, all processed foods contain trans fats.
Snacks that come in a packet have high amounts of hydrogenated oils so opting for a trans-fat-free option like bananas, carrot sticks, mixed nuts, plain yoghurt, apples, etc., prevents us from developing risk factors for lifestyle conditions and diseases.
Fried foods that are cooked in processed vegetable oils also have trans fats present in them. When the oil is reused for frying purposes its trans fat content increases.
Trans fats come along hydrogenated oils so avoiding such products is the best option. If the trans fat content is 0.5 g or less per serving then the food companies label their products trans fat-free so it is very important to read labels. Heart-healthy vegetable oils like olive oil and avocado oil help to reduce inflammation and have antioxidants along with essential fatty acids.
To save cost and increase the shelf life of their products, food companies began the use of hydrogenated oils. Most of the trans fats in commercially processed foods come from processed hydrogenated fats. They are responsible for lowering the good cholesterol and increasing the bad cholesterol. But food companies use hydrogenated oils to extend shelf life, save money, increase the stability of the product and add texture.
The natural trans fats in animal products are safe for consumption but the artificial trans fats need monitoring as they are strongly related to a risk of various health conditions like heart problems, diabetes, etc. They cause obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance, etc. therefore, it is very important to avoid products with trans fats in them and to reduce the amount of trans fats consumption. One should avoid processed foods and foods with partially hydrogenated items in the ingredient list.