Trans-fats - what is this? How dangerous are they for the body?

Trans fats - what is it? Unfortunately, very few people think about this issue, and very vain. Every day we eat butter, ice cream, processed cheese, confectionery, but we do not even suspect how much these foods can be harmful to our body. All of them contain dangerous substances - trans fats. What it is? Let's talk about this in the article.

What are trans fats?

Trans fats are a solid fat mass, which is obtained from vegetable oils during the process of gibbogenization: liquid vegetable oils are saturated with hydrogen bubbles at high temperatures, resulting in the formation of trans-isomers of fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acids having a distorted molecular structure. Due to the artificial processing of vegetable oil, about 30% of its molecules are converted into trans-isomers. What are the risks of spending? Once in the body, such molecules displace useful fatty acids from cell membranes, block enzymes, thereby violating the nutrition of cells and releasing them from the products of life. The result is a violation of metabolic processes in the cells, which sooner or later will lead to various pathologies.

Where do they contain trans fats?

Trans fats are part of the natural products - meat, milk, butter. Trans fats in butter (natural) or meat are kept in small quantities. Also, such harmful substances are formed when deep frying, especially if one serving of margarine or oil is used several times.

Products containing trans fat:

• Mayonnaise, margarine, spread, ketchup, refined vegetable oils, all kinds of sauces;

• Crackers, chips, nuts, snacks, popcorn, breakfast cereals;

• Cakes, buns, gingerbread, crackers, shortbread cookies and other confectionery;

• Ice cream, some types of chocolate;

• Processed cheese, semi-finished products - chilled dough, cutlets, pizza, fish sticks;

• Fast-food products - hamburgers, French fries, chebureks, grilled meats, donuts.

Scientists have proved that a hazardous dose of trans fat is 4 g per day. Just think, one serving of dry breakfast contains about 2 g of trans fats, a packet of chips - 5 grams, a serving of french fries or roast chicken - about 7 g. In the spread there are 1.5-6% trans fats, in margarine for baking - 20-40% , In soft margarine - 0.1-17%.

Trans fats - harm to the body

The civilized world has long been concerned about the use of synthetic fats in the food industry. Numerous studies conducted around the world confirm the negative consequences of using such substances as trans fats.

Harm vegetable fats can cause a huge:

• In breastfeeding mothers, the quality of milk deteriorates, while with it the spends are passed on to the child;

• Children are born with pathologically low weight;

• Increased risk of developing diabetes;

• Disrupted the work of prostaglandins, which adversely affects the condition of connective tissue and joints;

• The function of cytochrome oxidase, an enzyme directly involved in the neutralization of carcinogens and chemicals, is disrupted;

• Weakened immunity;

• The level of testosterone (male sex hormone) decreases and sperm quality deteriorates.

Violation of cellular metabolism can trigger diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, vision impairment, obesity, cancer.

The use of foods that contain trans fats, reduces the body's ability to resist stressful situations, increases the risk of depression. Also artificial fats provoke the development of senile dementia and premature aging of the body.

Harm of trans fats for children's body

What are the risks of trans fats for children? The child's organism is more susceptible to the penetration of infections, since its immune system is not yet fully formed. The use of trans fats depressingly affects the already weak immunity. In addition, such harmful substances can cause low intelligence in the child and adolescent.

Why trans fats continue to use?

Everything is simple enough. The main task of manufacturers is to reduce the cost of food, improve their consumer properties and increase the shelf life. Synthetic fats, unlike natural oils, do not deteriorate, can be stored at room temperature for an unlimited period of time. Margarine retains its properties for years, being outside the refrigerator, and even insects will not touch it.

Natural oils are very difficult to store, and their price is higher. Under the influence of light, air, high temperature, natural fat quickly oxidizes. Trans fats, created artificially, do not burn out, which makes possible their repeated use when frying products.

How to avoid using trans fats?

So, trans fats - what it is and what they are dangerous, we found out. But how to protect yourself from these harmful substances? First of all, you should carefully read the inscriptions on the packages. Avoid foods that contain hydrogenated fats, cooking fat, cocoa butter substitutes, margarine, peanut, soybean, cottonseed, canola, safflower and palm oil. Exclude from the diet mayonnaise, spread, margarine, ready-made sauces. It is recommended to give preference to home-made butter, ideally - melted. Shop 70-80% fat content is a low-grade vegetable oil, broken by hydrogen. In real butter can not contain less than 82.5% fat.

Exclude from the diet fried, deep-fried dishes. Cook, simmer, bake, cook on the grill or steamer. Refuse or reduce to a minimum the use of shopping buns, cookies, cakes. Homemade pastries, cooked on the basis of natural oil, are much more useful and tastier than industrial sweets.

Can I remove trans fats from the body?

Unfortunately, the answer to the question of how to remove trans fats from the body is obvious. Cells with a transgenic molecule already embedded will necessarily die. But the body has the property of very quickly recovering and renewing. The place of the dead cell necessarily forms a new one. To speed up this process it is possible, adhering to certain recommendations. It is necessary to exclude from the diet all products in which trans fats are present. If you completely can not refuse harmful food, you should reduce the amount of trans fats used up to 1 g per day.

Where are the trans fat and what harm they can cause, we dismantled, and which products will benefit our body? It is recommended to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. Vitamins favorably affect the body. How soon it will get rid of damaged cells is affected by the degree of slagging, general health, age and many other factors. The recovery process, of course, is long, but positive results will necessarily be achieved.

For dressing salads, use unrefined vegetable oil - olive, linseed, sunflower. You can also fill dishes with corn, mustard, pumpkin oil, walnut oil. Only a cold-pressed product can benefit the body. Include nuts, seeds, fish of fatty varieties, red and black caviar in your diet. All these products are the sources of fatty acids that cells need to effectively deal with the consequences of using trans fats.

Regularly include in your menu oatmeal and brown rice, these products contain vitamin E, which acts as a protector of important for the body fatty omega-acids.

Conclusion

In this article, we have understood such a concept as "trans fats": what are these substances, what are their properties and functions, how much they can be dangerous to health. When choosing food, carefully study the packaging and better refuse to buy, if you find incomprehensible ingredients for you. Literacy in nutrition will allow you to visit the doctor much less often. Be healthy!