The presence of fats in the diet can still be a controversial subject. While some believe that they are all bad, the truth is that not all types of fat are the same or harmful.
For example, good fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, omega 3) are good for health and should be included, albeit without exaggeration, in meals.
On the other hand, there are also bad fats, such as saturated fats, which should already have limited consumption in the diet. But, there are still the worst types of fat for health and need to be avoided: hydrogenated fats or trans fats.
Why Are They So Bad?
Trans fats are cheap, last a long time, and give products a pleasant taste and texture. The problem is that they are also terrible for your health.
That’s because trans fats raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower good cholesterol (HDL). They also increase inflammation in the body, linked to the development of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
Even small amounts of trans fats can be terrible for your health: according to Harvard University, for every 2% of calories that come from trans fats, heart disease increases by 23%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that consumption of trans fats should be less than 1% of total caloric intake and that unsaturated fats replace saturated and trans fats.
Foods With Trans Fats To Avoid
Therefore, it is essential to know which foods have the worst type of fat and avoid them as much as possible. Check out some of them:
Hydrogenated vegetable fats are trans fat. In the past, hydrogenated vegetable fat was sold in supermarkets in the form of blocks, and some people bought it to make fried foods such as pastels and potato chips.
Currently, it is not sold in this way. However, it can be present in margarine. Whenever you buy a product, check the nutritional table and read the list of ingredients. If hydrogenated vegetable shortening is on the list, know that it has trans fats.
Microwave Popcorn
Popcorn can be a healthy snack or appetizer, as long as you know how to use it in your diet and prepare it at home with little or no oil.
Microwave popcorn is not a good option because it usually contains trans fats. Manufacturers choose to put these facts in the product because they can withstand high temperatures without degrading.
Fast Food Typically
Fast-food restaurants use trans fats to prepare the fried foods they sell, such as French fries and fried chicken. They are chosen because they are stable, last longer, and can be used multiple times, which is cost-effective.
The problem is that reusing this trans fat makes it even worse. So, whenever you feel like eating some fast-food dish, prefer to make a homemade and healthier version.
For example, get to know recipes for a homemade light hamburger, french fries in the air fryer, and light breaded chicken in oatmeal.
Bakery Products
Ready-made cakes, stuffed cookies, and other industrialized sweets with a creamier consistency usually have trans fats. Therefore, before taking such a product home, read the nutritional table and ingredient list on the label in detail.
Other Processed Foods
The frozen pizzas we find in supermarkets have trans fats in many cases. In addition, industrialized mass ice creams are usually based on trans fats.
Another example is the chips and fried snacks sold in packets usually made with trans fat. Anyway, there is no escape: industrialized products generally have trans fats.
So, before buying processed food, always check the nutritional table and the list of ingredients on the package. It is essential to look at both because, in some products, trans fats are not shown in the nutritional table. However, their presence is described in the ingredient list.
ALSO READ: LEARN HOW TO INCLUDE FRUITS IN YOUR DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT