Posted on 4:16 PM on 12/21/2009 by 
Keith
If you have heart disease, a family history of heart disease, or are at risk of heart disease, avoiding trans fats is a very good idea, and hydrogenated fats are a very significant source of trans fats in the American diet.
To explain, trans fats are non-essential fats that are commonly created when producers of processed foods add hydrogen to fats in order to extend their shelf life and raise their normal melting point. Many convenience foods, margarines and other products are treated in this way. In fact, there are very few margarines that are not hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, and you would most likely need to look in a health food store to find one.
Trans fats and hydrogenated fats increase the risk of heart disease by adding saturated fat to the diet and raising the level of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Consumers must understand that no consideration whatsoever was given to the health effects of the hydrogenation process when it was invented and then widely adopted by the food industry. Thus, heart disease among Americans and other industrialized populations has sky-rocketed, largely due to the poor quality of fats contained in popular processed foods.
Here is a partial list of products made with partially hydrogenated oils that must be avoided if at all possible, which would necessitate reading the list of ingredients of each product while shopping.
- Cake mixes, biscuit, pancake and cornbread mixes, frostings
- Cakes, cookies, muffins, pies, donuts
- Crackers
- Peanut butter (except fresh-ground)
- Frozen entrees and meals
- Frozen bakery products, toaster pastries, waffles, pancakes
- Most prepared frozen meats and fish (such as fish sticks)
- French fries
- Whipped toppings
- Margarines, shortening
- Instant mashed potatoes
- Taco shells
- Cocoa mix
- Microwave popcorn
- Breakfast cereals (see Report #N180)
- Corn chips, potato chips
- Frozen pizza, frozen burritos, most frozen snack foods
- Low-fat ice creams
- Noodle soup cups
- Bread
- Pasta mixes
- Sauce mixes
Bear in mind that once you identify your favorite products that do not contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, shopping will become easier, and looking for the healthiest products will become second nature. This can seem overwhelming at first but your health--and that of your family---should be paramount when choosing the best foods for your health and well-being.
Comments(0)
|
Permalink