Trans fats are substances that occur in vegetable oils when they are reheated to high temperatures. Most countries in the world regulate the content of trans fats in finished foods – they should be no more than 2% of the total amount of fat in the products.
The harm of trans fats lies in their negative effect on metabolism – in the end, they provoke cardiovascular diseases and exacerbate obesity. What products contain and how many of them are in margarine – the maximum daily dose.
What are Trans Fats?
Trans fats are modified molecules that appear in unsaturated (vegetable) oils during repeated high-temperature processing. Trans fats occur naturally in minimal amounts. However, industrial oil processing can increase their share to 20-50%.
Studies show the health risks of trans fats. Even small doses of trans fats regularly can disrupt metabolism, increasing the need for omega-3s. They can provoke obesity. They also lead to cardiovascular diseases and elevate bad cholesterol.
In many countries of the world (from the USA and Europe to Latin America), food manufacturers are required to indicate the content of trans fats on the packaging. In addition, the maximum daily intake of such fats is determined – about 3-4 g per day.
Trans fats briefly:
- Trans fatty acids
- Disrupt the metabolism
- Appear on repeated heat treatment
Where are trans fats found?
Trans fats appear in vegetable oils heated to high temperatures, especially during repeated cooking. In addition, trans fats can form in fatty foods when they are reheated, such as in a microwave oven.
Of particular danger is margarine and any food containing it. Margarine may contain minimal trans fats. Yet, frying or baking with it can significantly boost harmful carcinogen levels.
Products containing trans fats:
- Margarine
- Margarine-based pastries
- Any fried fast food
- French fries
- Chips, crackers
Dangers of consuming trans fats
It is important to understand that trans fats are carcinogens, not direct poison. That is, they do not cause instant harm to health, but only impair metabolism, increasing the risk of cancer. In fact, you can eat them for years (and even decades) without any symptoms.
However, since it is fatty acids that are used by the body to synthesize sex hormones, trans fats can lower testosterone in men and estrogen in women. Among other things, they increase the level of cholesterol in the blood and impair the synthesis of insulin, forcing the body to store calories in subcutaneous fat.
Maximum daily dose
Research indicates trans fats, at 2% of total daily calorie intake, harm health and alter metabolism. This equals 3-4 g of trans fats per day – a tablespoon of baking margarine or a small portion of french fries.
A large portion of french fries can contain up to 10-12 g of trans fats, fried chicken from KFC – about 5-7 g, one donut- 5 g, a small pack of chips – 3 g, a serving of dry breakfast – 2 g.
Trans fats content in different products
The modern food industry is based on the use of refined vegetable oils. Such fats are cheap, tasteless, and have a long shelf life without requiring refrigeration. Rejecting them will require a revision of the technological process and increases the price of food.
The history of trans fats began with the search for a cheap substitute for butter. In 1901, a process was invented to turn naturally liquid palm oil into a solid by passing bubbles of hydrogen through boiling oil. The final result was margarine.
Because trans fats are found in margarine and refined vegetable oil, they can be found in any food containing these ingredients, from processed foods, pastries, and sweets (made with margarine) to french fries.
The content of trans fats in margarine
Before the health risks of trans fats were known, soft margarine had 10-20% trans fats, and hard margarine for baking had up to 40%. Now, Canada, the US, the EU, and some other countries have set a limit of no more than 2% of the total fat content in products.
In the early 2010s, regulators in these countries mandated measuring trans fats in foods and indicating them on packaging, similar to Omega-3 fat content.
However, these rules don’t apply to Russia, China, and most Asian countries, where trans fat reporting in products is not required.
Trans fats, formed in oils during repeated high-temperature processing, are carcinogenic and can be harmful to health. Trans fats are found in margarine and in any food fried in refined vegetable oil.