Trans Fatty Acids: A Poison in Food

Fatty acids can be helpful or harmful in the diet. But there is a category, the "trans fats" coming from industry, the effect of which is clearly harmful. Although common in food, it would be a poison for the human body.
Health agencies published reports on the serious harm of this industrial additive to cadio-vascular system, so factor for heart attack

Fat categories:

Monounsaturated fatty acids

They increase the level of good cholesterol. They are found in olive oil, rapeseed, sunflower. They are liquid at room temperature.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

These include omega 3 (linolenic acid) and 6 (linoleic acid) which are indispensable to the body. Omega 3 is found in canola oil, nuts, soy, fish, wheat germ. Omega 6 is found in sunflower oil, soybean, wheat germ.

Saturated fatty acids

They increase the bad cholesterol. They are found in butter, animal fats, palm oil. They are solid at room temperature.

Trans fatty acids

These are unsaturated acids but in a physical form so-called "trans" which makes them similar to saturated fatty acids. They are of animal origin or produced industrially by a process of partial hydrogenization makes them solid.

Trans fatty acids, that manufacturers add to food to preserve and improve the taste, would be responsible for 70,000 to 100,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to Dr. Meir Stampfer of Harvard.

The primary effect would be of a heart but they could also promote diabetes.
They increase the bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower the good (HDL). A 5% increase in consumption of fat "trans" increase the infarction risk of 93% according to a study.

Where are trans fats?

They are present in cookies, cereals, ready meals, soups, chocolate bars, spreads, cakes, pastries, candies, crackers, margarines, pasta and pizza flaky.
They are a substitute for butter, ideal for manufacturers who can produce them as needed.
Some countries limit the percentage to 2% of fat in foods considered harmful to the low rate.
So that children who find them in quantity in the products mentioned may reach 8 grams per day of these TFA while 5 grams are enough to have a harmful effect on heart.

How to avoid them?

In the absence of labeling, we must proceed by deduction. Solid foods containing vegetable oils, fats or partially hydrogenated, contain certainly TFA.
Those suffering from heart problems could limit the risks of consuming Danish products (and made for the Danish market).
In addition, biscuit and margarine in general should be consumed in small proportion.