Trans Fat That Wreck Havoc On Your Body

Innumerable times we end up saying “I will not eat this food as it contains fat.” But often we are unaware that not all type of fats that we eat are actually harmful or can lead to health disorders. What is more important is to choose the right fat, as good fat increases the fitness level, facilitates body to absorb nutrients, makes the food tasty and palatable and imparts good health. On the other hand, bad fat increases the chances of high cholesterol, diabetes and weight gain.

Trans fats and saturated fats are the nastiest fats. It raises the bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body. Trans fats are generally present in the processed food and it helps in increasing the shelf life and enhances the flavour of the food. Trans fats are generated through the process of hydrogenation of vegetable oils which converts it into solid and prevents it from spoiling. These fats are present in preserved food, non-dairy sweetener, fast food, butter, margarine, doughnuts etc. Similarly another culprit is the saturated fats derived from animal sources such as beef, lamb, pork and poultry.

The best way to substitute trans and saturated fat in diet is to replace it with healthy fats. The   healthy fats are the unsaturated, poly unsaturated fatty acids present in soya bean oil, flax seeds, sunflower oil and omega 3 fatty acids (fish).

To check the intake of trans fat, one should look for the nutritional facts label before buying the food products. But the trick is not only to search for the presence of trans fat but also for the presence of hydrogen or partially hydrogenated oil in the list. Since the food manufacturing companies have been exempted from mentioning the presence of trans fat upto 0.5 g per servings. So, zero trans fact may not necessarily mean that the food contains no trans fat!