find yourself becoming confused
with all the talk about
trans fats content,
saturated fats, mono unsaturated
trans fats and unsaturated fats?
Just what do
these terms mean and how do they effect our health?
all need a certain amount of fat in
our diets to
maintain energy. But it is the
amount of fats and the
types of fats that
affect our health. So let's take a
the different types of fat found in our
First, we'll look at unsaturated fats.
These are the fats that are liquid at
temperature. There are two categories - mono unsaturated fats and
Mono unsaturated fats are found in
canola oil, peanut oil and olive oil.
Trans Fats -
Trans Fats - How
are they Used
Trans Fats - Oil
fats help to lower your LDL cholesterol, while they
raise your HDL cholesterol. This is good for your body.
The next category is polyunsaturated fats. These are found in corn oil,
sunflower oils and fish. This type of fat will lower
both your HDL and LDL cholesterol levels.
The next type of fats is the saturated fats. These are
the fats that are solid at room temperature. This type
of fat is the unhealthiest fat because it raises your
level of LDL which is responsible for producing plaque
that will eventually narrow or clog your arteries. This
type of fat is found in animal fats and some vegetable
The third type of fats is trans fat. This is a
man-made fat that is created by injecting hydrogen into
an oil until it is partially solidified. This method
allows the food to have a longer shelf life because it
delays spoilage. It also will raise your LDL levels and
lower your HDL levels. That is the exact opposite of
what you want to occur in your body.
Trans fat was discovered in the 1940's and was found to
make food tastier and to make margarine spread easier.
It was also a lot cheaper than using natural fats in the
manufacturing process. Since the trans fats also
prolonged the shelf life of foods, it seemed like a
But now scientists know differently. Trans fats will put
you at a high risk for heart disease by raising the
cholesterol that causes plaque to form in your arteries.
Over time, this plaque will narrow your arteries
resulting in decreased blood flow to your heart. This
can result in episodes of chest pain or other heart
related diseases. If a piece of the plaque breaks free
it can cause a blockage in the artery which, depending
on the location, can cause a heart attack or a stroke.
You need to check the labels on the foods that you
purchase thoroughly. Check the trans fat content and try
to purchase food that have very little or no trans fat.
According to the American Heart Association, trans fat
should make up less than 1% of your total daily
calories. Try to avoid foods that are high in saturated
The good news is that food manufacturer's and
restaurants are working to remove trans fats from their
products. Search the food labels for trans fat content
information, and ask what type of oil your favorite
restaurant uses when cooking.
Making these simple
changes to your trans fat intake can improve your health and maybe extend your
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