Trans Fat

Fatty Acid Isomers: Unsaturated fatty acids are found in two isomers or shapes:

- cis unsaturated double bonds

- trans unsaturated double bonds

Cis unsaturated double bonds: the body easily recognises this shape and uses these fatty acids for appropriate purposes.

Trans unsaturated double bonds: occur naturally in small amounts within the diet, they are mostly produced through the mass processing of unsaturated oils within the food industry. The body no longer recognises these fatty acids, they become very damaging to the structure and function of the tissue. These are the 'bad fats'.

Trans fatty acids created on mass during hydrogenation, found in many processed foods , increases risk of CHD=coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and immune problems, the most damaging dietary fat.

If you heated up a good olive oil or any vegetable oil is going to trans fat!

If oxygen going to inside olive oil will be turn to trans fat so keep in dark is the best quality in the can.

Common foods which contain trans fat:

- many margarine's

- biscuits

- cakes

- crackers Ryvita

- take away foods

- many "low fat" processed foods low in saturated fat but high in trans fat!

- pies

- pastries

- prepared foods.

Hydrogenated fats made from vegetable oils actually block utilization of essential fatty acids, causing many deleterious effects including sexual dysfunction, increased blood cholesterol and paralysis of the immune system. Consumption of hydrogenated fats is associated with a host of other serious diseases not only cancer but also atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, immune system dysfunction, low -birth-weight babies, birth defects, decreased visual acuity, sterility, difficulty in lactation and problems with bones and tendons. Raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol, increase risk of Coronary heart disease.