Trans fats Co .: Which fats should you avoid?

If you have been concerned with health for some time, you probably know that not all fats are equally good for you. Although there are essential fats that your body needs, that does not mean that all fats do something good for your body.
If you have been concerned with health for some time, you probably know that not all fats are good for you. Although there are essential fats that your body needs, that does not mean that all fats do something good for your body.

Trans fats have made headlines before, as there are countless studies showing the health drawbacks these fats bring. You should therefore avoid trans fats at all times, but they are not the only vegetable fats you should stay away from.

Since the information about fats can be quite confusing at times, I want to help you clarify this in this article. So I will go deeper into trans fats, what it is and how it is made, and which other fats you should avoid!
Since the information about fats can be quite confusing at times, I want to help you clarify this a bit in this article. In this way I will go deeper into trans fats, what it is and how it is made, and which other fats you should avoid!

Â A little bit of history

The process of hydrogenation started at the end of the 17th century. It was then discovered that a chemical reaction could convert liquid fats into hardened, spreadable fats. This was a real find for manufacturers and they all jumped on it. After all, vegetable oils were much cheaper than real butter or other naturally hard fats. So they could still get the same result and make more profit.
The process of hydrogenation already started at the end of the 17th century. It was then discovered that a chemical reaction could convert liquid fats into hardened, spreadable fats. This was a real find for manufacturers and they all jumped on it. After all, vegetable oils were much cheaper than real butter or other naturally hard fats. So they could still get the same result and make more profit.

Suddenly people started to use hardened fats for everything. And these days you can find this fat in almost all processed products, from cookies to ready-to-eat pizza. Hardened fats are also used for fried products. Besides the advantage that they are cheap, you can also store them for a long time and the taste and texture are preserved. You can also continue to use the fat for deep frying.
Suddenly, hardened fats began to be used for everything. And these days you can find this fat in almost all processed products, from cookies to ready-made pizza. Hardened fats are also used for fried products. Besides the advantage that they are cheap, you can also store them for a long time and the taste and texture are preserved. You can also continue to use the fat for deep frying.

Hardened fats were the first to be found in the form of margarine in 1911, when the first supermarket started selling them. Margarine then replaced the more expensive butter and became particularly popular during the Second World War, because it was a cheap source of energy for the armies.

Since 1984, hardened fats have been used on a large scale and worldwide in the fight against cardiovascular disease, when studies showed that saturated fats caused high cholesterol levels and also chronic diseases. In the year 1993, however, a large-scale study showed that trans fats caused a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the popularity of this barely declined and people kept margarine and co. thinking they were doing something good for their hearts. Even nowadays it is still recommended on the Wheel of Five to opt for Becel as an alternative to real butter.
Since 1984, hardened fats have been used on a large scale and worldwide in the fight against cardiovascular disease, when studies showed that saturated fats caused high cholesterol levels and also chronic diseases. In the year 1993, however, a large-scale study showed that trans fats caused a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the popularity of this barely declined and people kept margarine and co. thinking they were doing something good for their hearts. Even nowadays, the Wheel of Five recommends choosing Becel as an alternative to real butter.

Although saturated fats in large amounts are not healthy, the worst thing you can do for your health is to replace these fats with hardened fats. Trans fats tend to increase your LDL cholesterol, and it is precisely these proteins that attach to the cell walls and can lead to cardiovascular disease. This, in combination with a lowered HDL cholesterol, ensures that less LDL cholesterol is removed from the blood, so that your risk goes up again.

Trans fats also have a negative effect on your triglycerides, cause chronic inflammation and increase plaque build-up. The inflammatory values are of great concern, because chronic inflammation is the cause of most diseases.
Trans fats also have a negative effect on your triglycerides, cause chronic inflammation and increase plaque build-up. Incidentally, inflammation levels are of great concern, because chronic inflammation is the cause of most diseases.

Nowadays it is no longer possible for manufacturers to simply use hardened fats without informing consumers about this. It is therefore important that you check the ingredients list when you buy something that comes from the factory. It states exactly how many trans fats the product contains.

It may well be that it contains 0 grams because, according to the manufacturer, there are a â € negligibleâ € ™ amount of trans fats in the product. Don't let that fool you though, very small amounts of trans fat can also be harmful and increase your risk of chronic disease!
It may well be that the product contains 0 grams because, according to the manufacturer, there is a â € negligibleâ € ™ amount of trans fats in the product. Don't let that fool you though, very small amounts of trans fat can also be harmful and increase your risk of chronic disease!

Of course, the best way to avoid these fats is to not buy processed products at all. Products that do not have an ingredient list (because they only contain one ingredient!) Are of course always preferred. Think of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fish, nuts and seeds, etc.

Do you also have odorless sunflower oil at home because you think it is healthier than saturated fats? Join the club. This is another persistent myth that is difficult to correct.

Vegetable liquid fats are often considered healthy, because they are unsaturated fats. However, the process of obtaining these oils ensures that they are extremely highly processed and are already rancid before we even open the bottle. The oil is extracted from the seeds by means of high heat and chemical means, then the oil is treated with an acid to remove the wax residue and then the oil is deodorized to remove odors. In short, an incredibly chemical process from which nothing natural remains.

These fats ultimately cause oxidation in your veins, increased inflammation and can increase your cholesterol! It may sound healthy, but it certainly isn't. If you want to use a vegetable oil, always choose extra virgin olive oil!

When it comes to nutrition and a healthy diet, of course is always better. After all, fats from the natural are perfectly tailored to the needs of your body, as long as you eat a varied diet.

Trans fats come from the factory and look so unappetizing that they have to be bleached and dyed to be sold in the supermarket at all.

While saturated fats are of course not healthy, they are by far a much better choice than trans fats and other highly processed fats. So opt for a spoonful of real grass butter to fry your piece of fish, rather than several tablespoons of sunflower oil or margarine. Your body will thank you!