Trans Fat & Food Labels

There is a lot of talk about trans fat. It is pretty well know that trans fat is not 'healthy, but it is important to understand how to read the food labels to know which foods have "trans fats", and which foods don't have "trans fat".

Trans fat is a manmade product. Trans fat is the created by a process called "hydrogenation". Hydrogenation is when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, for the sole purpose of extending the self life, and the flavor of foods that contain certain fats.

Trans fat can be found in all types of processed foods. In order to avoid trans fat check the labels for the following ingredients.

  • Shortening

  • Vegetable Shortening

  • Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

  • Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Trans fat clogs up the heart and the arteries. Think of it this way. Did you ever see a sink that is clogged up. It is not something that most people want to happen to their bathroom or kitchen sinks. It is the same thing with your heart and arteries, you don't want them to get clogged up.

It is a lot easier to say "don't eat trans fat", then it is not to eat trans fat, but it is important to do the best that you can. Check the labels of food, choose the foods with the lowest trans fat, if possible buy foods that don't contain trans fat.

If you can try to choose restaurants that care about your health, as much as they do your money. Choose restaurants that don't use trans fat. If you think you don't have time for all this stuff, then ask your self do you have time for a heart attack, or heart disease.

Trans fat raises your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your "good" (HDL) cholesterol. Why should you give your money to food manufactures that are trying to kill you, or at the very least give you heart disease.