Your Trans Fats: The Natural and The Bad

With all the books and TV programs you would think that people really know the difference between certain trans fats. But advertising often obscures the truth and for most people trans fats are all the same. If you believe that most natural foods provide nutrition to the body when taken in moderation, then you are on the right track to understanding this article.

Trans fats found in food additives are bad for your health. Processed foods are designed by man to make available tasty and cost-competitive foods, without serious regard for your long term health. The substances that are incorporated in these foods are linked to cancer, heart disease, obesity, and generally retarding the digestive process. These trans fats were introduced into the food chain in the 1950’s and have contributed to most of the heart disease in the industrialized world.

The US government recognized the danger of ingesting Trans fats and through the FDA mandated the labeling of food products with the ingredient % and amounts. People don’t read labels until they know to look for something such as calories or sugar or salt. The government can make labeling rules, but they can’t stop you from eating trans fats. if you remember one idea from this article it is: Don’t buy or eat foods with trans fats. Start today!

Hydrogenated oils are where the manufacturers hide trans fats. Margarine, shortening, and partially hydrogenated oils are the basic ingredients in junk foods, deep fried foods, and processed foods

Once you know some of the details of the manufacturing process for hydrogenated oils, you will wonder why anyone would eat foods with these health destroying chemicals. Making these oils requires the use of solvents (similar to ones found in gasoline). Metals are added and then the product is deodorized and bleached. You wonder who regulates the amount of any of these processing chemicals that end up in the product? We know it is not the FDA.

Without knowing anything about nutrition, common sense tells you that this is not healthy. What you might not know is that these hydrogenated oils cause inflammation, which signals the deposition of cholesterol on your artery walls. Even though your body isn’t infected or inflamed from illness, the arteries get coated. Now maybe you see one potential danger of having these oils and why they should be eliminated from any food you eat.

No company wants its products condemned by nutrition conscious customers so they use a substitute that is equally as dangerous: polyunsaturated oils. Although the hydrogenated is not on the label, these highly refined oils still use the high heat, deodorizers, bleaching agents and solvents. The result as you might suspect is inflammation and cholesterol and heart disease. These man-made products are never a healthy substitute for natural sources of healthy fats.

There are natural oils and fats which will contribute to your good health and long life. With a little discipline you can change your eating habits and lose the fat and cholesterol that has built up in your body. There is life after trans fats Olivia!

You can’t go to the supermarket and buy a can of natural trans fats. Natural trans fats are only found in the stomachs of cattle, goats, and sheep. These trans fats help the animals produce fat for their bodies. We do get a very small amount of these fats when we consume the meat and dairy products from these animals. Due to the type of feed given to livestock, not much natural trans fat is present.

There are natural trans fats made from plant oils instead of the stomachs of animals. This man-created substance is called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Although these oils may be beneficial, I don’t believe that they are a substitute for the natural trans fats from animals. Meat and dairy from grass-fed, free-range animals always have much higher quantities of these beneficial fats.

If you want some great reading material about eating a truly natural and healthy diet for you and your family, read Nourishing Traditions – by Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig and Eat Fat, Lose Fat – by Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig.

Viktor Kuhl is a scientist who researches nutrition and fat burning issues. To learn more about burning belly fat, get your free report when you visit us.