subject: What Is The Problem With Trans Fatty Acids? [print this page] With the increasing awareness about the dangers of fatty acids, how they increase the risks of our developing heart problems, the food industry began searching for an alternative.
Saturated fats come from animal products such as, meat, lard, and dairy. It is also found in coconut and palm oil. This type of fat increases our LDL cholesterol which is the bad type. Unsaturated fats are derived from vegetable oils and they do not raise the LDL. It is surely a better option to be preferred. Fried food has always been a staple food of the Americans. French fries, hamburgers, and fried chicken are common on the table. Replacing the saturated oils has become a major issue.
The next problem was, when trying to use unsaturated fatty acids, they found that the acids turned rancid rather quickly. That was not the answer. Then they started to hydrogenate the fats which made them last longer. They were called partially hydrogenated vegetable oils . That was the invention of a new fatty acid, the trans type. Trans fats have now almost replaced the saturated fats from the American diet.
Were the trans fats any better? No. Now we have both saturated and trans fats that are bad. While saturated fatty acids increased the LDL cholesterol levels, the trans fatty acids do the same. The only other thing they do is lower your HDL count. The level of HDL should be increased not decreased.
The unhealthy foods are probably easiest to find and are quite irresistible. How good it taste, like doughnuts, cakes and cookies. Any thing that reads partially hydrogenated vegetable oils on the label are bad for you. I love potato chips, corn chips, crackers, all bad for me.
This shows that, trans fats aren't any better than the saturated type, in fact they are worse. No wonder our heart health in the US is continuously on the decline.
Therefore, what is a good fat?
The foods containing unsaturated fats are the best for us. These fats come from vegetable oils like canola, peanuts, flax seeds, corn, safflower and sunflower oils. You should ensure that the cooking oil you're buying has not been hydrogenated. Learn to read the label. I keep my reading glasses handy these days.
Unsaturated oils consist of mono unsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. These acids assist in lowering your bad cholesterol numbers while increasing your HDL level. Fantastic, something that is good for me.
Ok, now where to get them from?
Omega 3 fatty acids is the problem solver. It plus omega 6 are called essential fatty acids implying that our bodies cannot produce them. Getting a good ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 can help you reduce your chances of having heart problems that the trans fatty acids have steered you towards.
You can work omega 3 into your diet by eating more of cold water oil fish like tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, lake trout, herring and halibut at least twice a week. Prefer using canola oil and margarine's that contain no trans fat. Again read the labels. If a recipe requires a stick of butter, try using unsaturated vegetable oil in the recipe. Eating walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, are also good sources.
Omega 6 is easy to get and there is surely no problem in getting our daily quota. We in fact need to reduce our intake of omega 6 . If not then adding additional omega 3 will help balance it out better.
If you aren't into eating fish, and you don't like the taste of other foods containing omega 3, you can always find supplements at your local grocery store or drug store. Read the directions and take as recommended. Sometimes that is the best way to insure you are getting the amount a day you need to stay healthy.
If in the care of a doctor and already taking prescriptions medicines, be sure to check with them first before adding anything new to your diet.
If you are healthy at the moment, then take the steps to stay that way. Avoid the trans fats and saturated ones as much as possible and include omega 3 into your daily diet.
