Nothing can satisfy a sweet tooth quite like a few purchases from the snack food aisle. Sure, you realize most that sweet treats aren't healthy, but you might not know that some are much more harmful than others. Many beloved snack companies and fast food restaurants use hydrogenated oils in their foods because they are a cheap, long-lasting method of permeating foods with a pleasant taste and texture. However, "trans fats," created by partial hydrogenation of oil, are known to contribute to a number of negative health effects.
Trans fat is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil through hydrogenation. Since trans fats are of a more solid consistency than oil they are less likely to spoil, according to the Mayo Clinic. This helps foods stay fresh in packages longer. Trans fats also give foods a less greasy quality. Although "completely" or "fully" hydrogenated oil contains no trans fat, most food products that mention hydrogenated vegetable oil on their labels contain some trans fat.
Risks
"Fully" hydrogenated oil isn't dangerous, but since most snack foods that contain hydrogenated oil actually contain trans fat, it's important to consider potential ill health effects of the words "hydrogenated oil." According to the American Heart Association, trans fats raise bad (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels and lower good (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels. Consuming foods with trans fats thus increases your chances of developing heart disease and stroke. It also increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Limits
The American Heart Association recommends limiting your trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of your total caloric intake per day. Translated, in a 1,600 calorie diet, a person could only eat about 16 calories, or 1.6 grams, of trans fat per day. When considering that small amounts of trans fats naturally occur in some meat and dairy products, the hydrogenated oils in snacks and fried foods are superfluous.
Products with Partially Hydrogenated Oils
Many boxed and bagged commercial baked goods, including crackers, cakes, muffins and cookies contain partially hydrogenated oils. Many fried foods such as French fries and donuts also contain partially hydrogenated oils. Although food manufacturers in the United States list trans fat content on their nutrition labels, foods that contain under .5 grams of trans fat per serving are allowed to have 0 grams of trans fat written on their labels, says the Mayo Clinic. Even small amounts, if eaten in great quantities, can become dangerous.
Reading Labels
Read the list of ingredients in your foods as well as the "Nutrition Facts" side bar. Since you know that a food may still contain a small amount trans fat and say that it has "0 grams" of trans fat, keep your eye out for ingredients such as margarine, shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil.
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