Partially Hydrogenated Oil

If you know me...you know that I have been trying to avoid partially hydrogenated oils in my families diet for at least the past year. My dad, being the health nut that he is, started reading articles about it and telling me to stop giving it to my kids. I did a little of my own research and then understood why he was so determined to make me listen! This is the reason that one of my goals for 2008 is to cook more meals for my family. From scratch....not boxed or bagged stuff full of junk even though it looks healthy.

In short, trans fats are poisons. They interfere with the metabolic processes of life by taking the place of a natural substance that performs a critical function. And that is the definition of a poison. Your body has no defense against them, because they are not natural. Partially hydrogenated oils do not exist in nature.

Substances that are literally metabolic poisons like partially hydrogenated oil are banned in Canada and Europe. And even some US cities like NYC, Boston, San Francisco have banned it in their resteraunts. However it is still widely used in many resteraunts all over the US and in nearly everything you pick up off the grocery store shelves. It's used instead of butter because it adds texture and flavor to foods and is much cheaper than real butter.



It is seriously hard to avoid this stuff! When you start reading food labels, it is astonishing how many products you will find that contain partially hydrogenated oils. Most chips, crackers, instant coffees and cocoas and oh so much more....even frozen meals! I rarely buy anything anymore without first looking at the label. The stuff is even in some candy!

Here is what you can do: For starters, read food labels and avoid anything that contains the words "hydrogenated". That means partially hydrogenated oils, hydrogenated oils, or anything of that kind (and mono-diglycerides,Interesterified Oils as well- these are just new names they are giving hydrogenated oils to confuse people). When eating out, avoid deep-fried foods at all costs,most resteraunts deep fry with partially hydrogenated oil because it is cheaper! Buy real butter and NOT MARGARINE....margarine is full of the bad oils.

Not only are Partially Hydrogenated Oils bad for you...they also make you get fat. Ever wander why the US has such an obesity problem when other countries do not?? Hmmm....cause this junk is banned there! When you eat normal fats, the body metabolizes half of them in 18 days. When you eat trans fats the body requires 51 days to metabolize half of them.

Tell others to boycott foods containing Partially Hydrogenated oils. There are dozens of references in scientific literature documenting the ill effects of trans fatty acids especially in relation to heart disease. If you have difficulty in convincing someone of the value of avoiding trans fats, the extensive references now available in the scientific literature are helpful.

Here are just a few links to some of the info I have read:
http://www.bantransfats.com/index.html

http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/PartiallyHydrogenatedOils.html

http://www.recoverymedicine.com/hydrogenated_oils.htm

http://www.becomehealthynow.com/article/conditioncardio/135/