We all need a healthy amount of dietary lipids (fats) as part of our macronutrients in our diet.
All lipids from Omega-3 to saturated fats are:
Organic compounds composed of a carbon skeleton with hydrogen and oxygen substitutions. The most abundant lipids are sterols or esters of fatty acids with various alcohols such as glycerol and cholesterol. [1]
The first understanding of how fat was absorbed emerged in 1879 when Munk studied fat emulsions and showed that lymph contained TAG (triacylglycerol ) after a fatty meal, and even after a meal not containing TAG (triacylglycerol). [1]
However, there's a black sheep in the herd of lipids:
Hydrogenation converts liquid vegetable oils into solid or semi-solid fats, such as those present in margarine.
Today we are going to be talking about Trans fats and how they can even be found in non-processed animal foods.
A little background
They became widely produced industrially from vegetable and fish oils in the early 20th century for use in margarine [2] and later also in snack food, packaged baked goods, and for frying fast food. [3,4]
So, why would the big food industry love them?
Because they are cheaper and with longer shelf lives!
They are the predominant fats used as shortening in most commercial baked goods.
So, it seems that you would be okay by eliminating all processed foods from your diet such as margarine [5] or girl scouts cookies [6] right?
Well, if you are still into animal foods such as beef and dairy, you’re still getting your daily trans dose [7] as well as other toxins.
Completely banned
The one naturally found in ruminants is called vaccenic acid and the only difference from its artificial version is that it raises both HDL and LDL (good and bad cholesterol) [8]. Nonetheless, remember that is a complete package and you will be still getting all the toxins found in animal foods. [9,10]
Trans fatty acids are produced either by industrial hydrogenation or by biohydrogenation in the rumens of cows and sheep. Industrial trans fatty acids lower HDL cholesterol, raise LDL cholesterol and increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
In places such as New York [11, 12] and Denmark [13], it took quite a while for the ban to be raised mostly because of “economic and political interests” (gotta love those animal farmers right?)
However, as this study suggests:
These slippery slope concerns cannot be dismissed as far-fetched, because the social and political pressures are placed to induce additional food regulations. To protect human freedom and other values, policies that significantly restrict food choices, such as bans on types of food, should be adopted only when they are supported by substantial scientific evidence, and when policies that impose fewer restrictions on freedom, such as educational campaigns and product labeling, are likely to be ineffective. [14]
Don’t let yourself be fooled by the animal food industry-funded studied saying that “all in moderation” is okay. It’s like the tobacco industry telling you that instead of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, maybe limit your consumption to 5 or 8.
Yeah right… Seems that they do care about you more than their wallets.
Better stop the madness now.
What do you think?
Thanks for reading. If you liked this post, upvote and share it with your friends. Feel free to curate it, as long as you include the original authors and follow me for more fitness wisdom.
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Next: Chill Out and Be Friends with Carbs
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References:
- Introduction to Human Nutrition, Second Edition, Michael J Gibney Susan A Lanham-New Aedin Cassidy Hester H Vorster, 2009, 2002 by The Nutrition Society, C6 Nutrition and Metabolism of Lipids
- Gormley JJ, Juturu V (2010). "Partially Hydrogenated Fats in the US Diet and Their Role in Disease". In De Meester F, Zibadi S, Watson RR (eds.). Modern Dietary Fat Intakes in Disease Promotion. Nutrition and Health. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press. pp. 85–94. doi:10.1007/978-1-60327-571-2_5. ISBN 9781603275712.
- "About Trans Fat and Partially Hydrogenated Oils" (PDF). Center for Science in the Public Interest.
- "Tentative Determination Regarding Partially Hydrogenated Oils". Federal Register. 8 November 2013. 2013-26854, Vol. 78, No. 217. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
- Ian P. Freeman "Margarines and Shortenings" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2005, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a16_145
- "Statement from GSUSA CEO Kathy Cloninger: Girl Scout Cookies Now Have Zero Trans Fats" (Press release). 13 November 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
- Trans Fat Task Force (June 2006). "TRANSforming the Food Supply". Retrieved 7 January 2007.
- David J. Baer, PhD. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Laboratory. New Findings on Dairy Trans Fat and Heart Disease Risk, IDF World Dairy Summit 2010, 8–11 November 2010. Auckland, New Zealand
- Red meat-derived nitroso compounds, lipid peroxidation products and colorectal cancer, 10.3390/foods8070252
- Determination of total N-nitroso compounds and their precursors in frankfurters, fresh meat, dried salted fish, sauces, tobacco, and tobacco smoke particulates, DOI: 10.1021/jf010602h
- Cholesterol Control Beyond the Clinic: New York City's Trans Fat Restriction, http://annals.org/pdfaccess.ashx?url=/data/journals/aim/20186/
- FDA's proposed ban on trans fats: How do the costs and benefits stack up?, DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2014.01.007
- The trans fatty acid story in Denmark, DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosissup.2006.04.010
- Trans fat bans and human freedom, DOI: 10.1080/15265160903585636
This is a curated post made from different sources. The health information here is provided as a resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes, nor intended to be medical education, nor creating any client-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Always do your own research (you can use this to download journals) and consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions, for guidance about a specific medical condition or fitness purposes. Edward Casanova shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site.