Trans Fat: How Good And Bad Are They- Explained
To understand some of the implications, it’s important to have trans fat explained. Certainly we all know that trans fat is one of the “bad fats,” but how much do we know about it beyond that? Does it have any good qualities? We first need to understand that the chemical process of hydrogenation creates trans fats. Without the addition of these hydrogen atoms into liquid vegetable, their monounsaturated fat would make it a healthy choice for cooking.
On the positive side, trans fats extend the shelf life of food and add flavor to various processed foods, though not necessarily making them healthy foods in the process. At one time trans fats were thought to be healthier than saturated fats, thus the belief that margarine was healthier than butter.
Today that has been changed with the finding that even though saturated fat raises total and LDL cholesterol, trans fats do that in addition to lowering levels of good (HDL) cholesterol. They also increase triglyceride levels in the blood, which creates an increased risk of heart disease.
Many restaurants, even fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s have switched to trans-fat free cooking oils, and when you go into the grocery store, you will find that many products are now marked as having no trans-fat.
It’s important to understand that simply because the trans fat is removed doesn’t mean the product is necessarily good for you, because in some cases, the trans fat is replaced with saturated fat as is the case, in some margarines. In addition, some cooking processes do not work as well when attempting to replace trans fats with other types of fats.
Before you make up your mind what you want to do, you need to have trans fat explained in detail, so that you understand its good and bad points. Though it appears that trans fat is comprised of more bad than good, you have to still consider all of those points when deciding whether to choose a product that is trans fat free.
Some of the trans fat free products may change the flavor of the product in which you are using it, and you may not want to sacrifice flavor for a healthier product. Only by education can you learn the good and bad points about trans fat and be able to make an informed decision whether to eliminate its use in the products you use at home. You need to take the time to find out everything you can about trans fat and how it affects your health before you begin to consider making changes in your home.
Since there can be good and bad in both trans fat and saturated fat, you want to research both choices. Make certain when you have trans fat explained that you know everything there is to know before you make the decision to continue or discontinue using it. If you make the decision to switch to another product, you want to make sure you understand that the lack of trans fat may make a difference in the flavor of some products.