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Who does not want to indulge in yummy french fries, chips, crackers, cookies, etc? We Bengalis just love to eat “Muri & Chop” means puffed rice with Pakoras and want to enjoy monsoon knowing the fact these fried foods are extremely bad for our health as we have an excuse to say “ Ekdin Khele Kichu Hobe Na” means “ nothing will happen if taken only one day”. But we need to think that one day only or rather few seconds will send us to the hospital if not controlling our mouth.
I guess now you all recognize Villain of the entire film? YES, you are right TRANS FAT.
If I explain in a technical term then it will be difficult for you all to understand this villain. In a simple way, it is nothing but a type of fatty acids which can be obtained both by naturally or artificially.
Naturally occurring trans fats are produced in the gut of some animals or foods made from these animals like milk, meat though consumption of these are more better compared to man made trans fats. Studies on Journal of Food Composition and Analysis said these fats typically make up 2-5 % of fat in dairy products and 3-9% of fain beef and lamb.
Artificial trans fats are produced by introducing hydrogen bonds in between fatty acid chains to make them solid at room temperature and this kind of fatty acids are, now-a-days, getting the first position in the food industry not only they enhance food taste and flavour but also inexpensive with increased shelf life.
So you must be thinking if they are cost effective then why not use in good amount to cut down on budget? Give it a PAUSE when it comes to trans fat consumption!
Since long, the ill effects of trans fat has been studied. Overconsumption beyond a certain level will not only harm your heart but make you obese or affects your blood sugar levels too. Let’s discuss in detail:
Replacing carbs with trans fat increases LDL cholesterol level. As we all know LDL cholesterol is often called as Bad Cholesterol which often causes blockage in the arteries leading to heart problem. Being a Nutritionist I often suggest to take saturated fat (not more than 8-10% of total calories) to satisfy your taste buds but NO TRANS FAT as they are slow poison for you.
Bottom Line is – try to replace your saturated fat with polyunsaturated fatty acids, Nuts and seeds mixture to boost up magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids.
I guess you are not familiar with the term Insulin Sensitivity. Well, it is nothing but the process which makes your cell sensitive to insulin uptake- A process helps to regulate your blood sugar level ( Defined in a simple language to make it clear). A study in The New England Journal of Medicine over 80,000 people showed that too much consumption of trans fat increase the chance of Type II diabetes by 40%.
Research indicates that over-rely on fast foods, processed foods tend to deposit stubborn fat on your belly, thighs and hip portion. These fats are the warning sign to check on your food habits and lifestyle. A 6-year study revealed that monkeys who are fed on trans fat tends to gain 7.2% more fat or weight compared to other groups who were on MonoUnsaturated Fat diet.
So now you have a better understanding of how this silent killer slowly affecting our health.
Many marketing industry, now-a-days, mentions few phrases like Zero Trans Fat, Zero Cholesterol etc but you need to educate yourself in such a way that no marketing agencies play this kind of gimmick with your health.
The major dietary sources of trans fats are cakes, cookies, crackers, french fries, fried potatoes or wedges, chips, popcorn, household shortening etc. To meet dietary recommendations of fats should come from PUFA and MUFA but not trans fat.
With the massive globalisation and urbanisation consumption of fast foods, junk and processed foods have increased. Please do not go with the labels written, better to see the ingredients to stay away from Trans Fat.
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