Sunday, January 23, 2011

Avoid Trans Fats

Oh my gosh they are everywhere!

I am sure you have heard that trans fats are bad for you... and ever since the FDA mandated the reporting of trans fat content you now know if there is more than .5 grams per serving in the foods you are eating.

So they're bad.... but has anyone ever told you WHY they are bad?

I was suprised to learn about it in organic chemistry - and I was angry to be honest. Trans fats were a popular choice for food producers because they can be made cheaply... it is less expensive to 'make' these fats than to use the naturally occuring ones.

Made?? Yes... you can make them by a process called hydrogenation. Now, not all hydrogenation is bad... at the right temperatures and pressures you get normal fats... but it is not cheap... and at the inexpensive Temperature & Pressure you get the trans version of the fat...

But why is this a bad thing? WHY are trans fats so bad for you? Well, without going to technical on you guys the best way to explain it is to compare the way your body handles fats to a right-handed glove... yes, a glove...  and natural fats are like right hands... so, when you consume natural fats these 'right-hands' fit nicely into the right-handed gloves and your body can process the fats. But, when you eat Trans-fats its like putting left-hands into your body. Try stick your left hand into a right-glove... it just doesn't fit! So your body can't really process it.

So now you know... double check your labels!!

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