Trans Fats: 5 Worst Offenders

Amy Taylor June 27, 2014

Trans fats are unsaturated fats that are uncommon in nature but can be created unnaturally. Whilst they keep foods fresh and more delicious for longer, they are also bad for your health in a multitude of ways. Trans fats have been linked to a wide range of chronic illnesses, including high cholesterol and heart disease.

Trans fat is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation, making oil less likely to spoil. Until now, scientists are unsure why hydrogenated oil causes the highest increase in cholesterol than any other types of fats.

Also known as hydrogenated oils, trans fats can be found in a shocking number of foods. And among the top offenders are the following:

Margarine

Margarine is a solid form of vegetable oil which was touted as a healthier choice than butter. However, many popular varieties rely on hydrogenated oils to take stick form. If you are eating margarine in solid form, you are likely ingesting large quantities of trans fats. In fact, there’s 2 grams of trans fats in every 1 tablespoon of margarine.

Shortening

Shortening is widely used in pastry products, such as cakes, pies, breads, doughnuts and other baked goods. It is also used in many restaurants for cooking chicken, breakfast sausage, breaded fish and other deep-fried foods.

Coffee Creamer

If you think you’re making a healthy choice by choosing non-dairy coffee creamer, think again. Coffee is a less known source of trans fats. So if you are having multiple cups of coffee a day, you could be exceeding your daily limit of this very unhealthy fat.

Fried and Battered Food

Mostly anything fried and battered is high in trans fats. Restaurants prefer using shortening and other frying oils filled with trans fats because they don’t go easily rancid. And while some restaurants have switched over to non-hydrogenated oil, many are still into it.

Commercial Baked Goods

Butter, shortening and margarine are common ingredients in baking. Whilst they make baked goods creamer, sweeter, softer and fluffier, they all, along with sugar, make such foods dangerous to your health.

Avoiding Trans Fats

Since trans fats are mostly found in processed foods, it is always a good idea to read labels before purchasing. Watch out for terms like “partially hydrogenated” – that’s another term for trans fats. If the label says “fully hydrogenated”, it could mean the oil has lesser amount of trans fats. Apart from cutting down on your consumption of processed foods, you must also add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. When buying dairy products, choose the fat-free or low-fat versions, try to eat fewer biscuits, cakes and pastries, use liquid vegetable oil, and reduce your intake of deep-fried foods.